Of Angels and Demons
by neo123
Summary: Ryou's the Heir to the Angelic throne. But he falls in love with a Demon by the name of Bakura, who's the Heir of the Demonic throne. Will Ryou be able to gain the Demon's love? Or will the war between the Demons and Angels tear Ryou away from Bakura?
1. An Angel's Fall

Jaazi: _(spins in spinney chair) _Squeeee! Another fic!

DJ: _(sarcastic) _Huzzah.

Jaazi: _(glares) _Thanks for your enthusiasm.

DJ: _(smirks) _Don't mention it.

KK: _(giggles) _This is a tendershipping fic, just so you know. And fear not, we will try to keep weekly updates for our HP/YGO x-over fic!

Disclaimer: We don't own anything…we're too poor _(sniffles)

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**Chapter One: An Angel's Fall**

Ryou was floating on a cloud, watching the mortals on Earth. He sighed as his eyes lingered over a stony, somewhat ominous castle. He watched over this castle every chance he had, just to get a glimpse of _him_. Ryou knew this was wrong, that he shouldn't want to see _him_ this bad.

"Ryou!" someone called from behind him. Ryou turned to see his friend and guard, Joey.

"Hello Joey." Ryou replied with a soft smile. Joey retracted his wings a bit. Joey's wings were white, and were seemingly dusted with a barely noticeable golden shimmer. Much unlike Ryou's, which were a pale silvery white.

"Heya, Ry. I came to fetch you. His Majesty has been worried about you and wishes to speak with his successor, meaning you," Joey said cheerfully. Ryou let out a sad sigh.

"Does he have to see me now? This very moment?" Ryou asked softly, casting a longing glance at the gloomy castle down in the Mortal Realm. Joey looked at where his friend was staring. He suppressed a shiver.

"Yes, you have to go now." Joey said patiently.

"Fine…but if he shows up, let me know, please?" Ryou asked. Joey knew whom he was speaking of. Ryou had become very lovesick over a certain boy in the Mortal Realm.

"Of course, but only if you go see the King now." Joey chastised.

"Thank you, Joey!" Ryou said gleefully, giving him a quick hug before flying off, towards a pale peach colored castle made of clouds (1).

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Yugi sat on his throne, waiting patiently for his successor to arrive. He had been very stressed lately. What with the Demons taking over the Mortal Realm and their King taking the Mortals' throne, and all. His people, the Angels, were losing ground. Before, the Mortal Realm had been a neutral ground for both Angels and Demons, but then their King, Yami, had the brilliant idea to take over the Mortal Realm. Now they have twice as much territory and people and can easily take over the Angels' Realm also.

"King Yugi, you wished to speak with me?" came Ryou's timid voice. Yugi snapped out of his musing and smiled down at his handpicked successor.

"Ryou, how many times do I have to tell you to just call me Yugi?" the King said good-naturedly. Ryou blushed.

"Sorry, Yugi. I still don't understand why you chose me to be the next King," Ryou whispered shyly.

"You don't know? I chose whom I thought was the kindest, most caring and intelligent Angel, I knew," Ryou blushed at Yugi's comment. Yugi smiled and continued, "But that's not what I called you here for…Ryou, I've noticed you've been distracted lately. Care to tell me what's been bothering you?" Yugi asked kindly.

"Um, I…" Ryou shifted nervously, not meeting Yugi's eyes, "There's n-nothing wrong, Yugi. No n-need to worry about me."

"Ryou, don't lie to me. Please, tell me what's on your mind. I want to help," Yugi pleaded. In all honesty, Yugi already knew what was going on. It worried him greatly too. Ryou, his heir, was infatuated with the heir to the Demonic throne. Yugi was going to try to talk some sense in to the love-struck Angel, but if that did not change his mind then…more drastic measures would be needed.

"I…there's this…boy and I…love him," Ryou said bashfully, "He's beautiful and he's so pensive and calm." Ryou rushed to reason his feelings. Yugi felt his heart drop, this was not good.

"So…" Yugi said, feigning ignorance, "You've finally met a nice Angel boy? I'm glad for you, Ryou."

"Um, he's…he's not really in the Angel Realm. He's in the…Mortal Realm," Ryou said softly, eyes glued to the floor.

"Really? You fell in love with a Mortal? You'll outlive him…tell me, how can you love him if you've never even spoken a word with him. Angels aren't allowed to leave this realm without permission and you've never asked for permission." Yugi said.

"Your Majesty, it's…he's a…I know I've never spoken to him, but I've been watching him for the longest time. I feel as if I know him already, and I feel pulled towards him every time I lay eyes on him," Ryou whispered.

"Ryou, look at me. He's a Demon, isn't he?" Yugi asked just as softly. Ryou's emerald eyes were brimming with tears.

"Yes."

"He's not just any Demon, Ryou. He's the heir to the Demonic Throne, that is if we're speaking about the same Demon. Blood-red eyes and white hair, pale complexion, such as yours?"

"His hair isn't as long as mine, a-and his right eye has a scar running through it," Ryou mumbled, a tear dripped to the floor.

"Ryou, this cannot be. You have to get over this crush of yours," Yugi said as kindly as possible.

"It's not a crush! I love him, Yugi! Please, I…I want to go to the Mortals' Realm. I want to meet him in person. Yugi, I love him," Ryou said forcefully.

"Ryou…he's a Demon, Demons don't have any compassionate feelings. If I let you go down there, he'll break your heart. He'll also use you against me, get information out of you and then hurt you." Yugi protested.

"He wouldn't do that. I'm sure of it. Please, Yugi, just let me see him in person, if only just once. Please…" Ryou cried.

"Ryou, let go of this infatuation. It'll only get you hurt in the end," Yugi tried to reason.

"No, I-I refuse. I know what I feel. I need to meet him." Ryou said defiantly. Yugi blinked, Ryou had never sounded so forceful before. Yugi shook his head sadly and sighed.

"I was hoping to talk you out of this, but you leave me no choice. If you love him this much I could let you meet him…but there's a price. Your memories will be erased; you'll have no recollection of who or what you are. You'll still be an Angel of course, but you will not know it, therefore you'll not be able to unfurl your wings from your body nor will you be able to heal or tap into any other of your Angelic abilities," Yugi stated solemnly.

"How will I remember Bakura?" Ryou asked quietly.

"That's just it. If your love for him is true, your heart will recognize him, even if your mind does not," Yugi stated.

"I'll do it. I want to meet him, I need to be with him," Ryou said, no trace of doubt in his voice.

"Very well," Yugi sighed.

King Yugi leaned forward and placed a palm on his heir's forehead. Ryou watched as Yugi chanted a spell in some archaic tongue. All of a sudden, his mind felt as if thousands of white-hot needles were pricking his mind all at once. The pain was intense; he felt his wings forcefully retract into his back. And then all was black.

TBC

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(1) Ever watch Disney's Hercules? You know the palace thing on Mount Olympus? It looks like that.

Jaazi: So how was it? I know I left a somewhat cliffy at the end, but that's because it's getting late and I want to post this today.

KK: If you want to see what happens to Ryou, then Review!

DJ: You heard her, REVIEW NOW!

Jaazi: _(glares at her bossy yami) _She means please.

DJ: Tch, sure, whatever.


	2. Mortal Realm

Jaazi: Mucho thanks to my reviewers! **Fear of Falling**, **DemonicMistress**, **Hakudoshi-Chan**, **Wingweaver**, **Hikari's DS**, **Kyuumei**, **Carmen-Nemrac**, **Puffin**, **DartzLoyalServant**, **Kikyou-sama**.

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Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh or Ryou or Bakura or any of the other bishounen… _(wails)_ IT'S NOT FAAAAAIIIIR!

_Previously_

_The pain was intense; he felt his wings forcefully retract into his back. And then all was black.

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**Chapter Two: Mortal Realm**

Joey had rushed in when he heard Ryou's yelp of pain. Upon entering, he saw King Yugi performing some kind of magic on Ryou. Ryou collapsed on to the floor in a dead faint. Joey glanced at his king for an explanation. King Yugi sighed.

"Ryou refused to let go of his love for the Demonic Heir. I wasn't sure if his love was real, so now Ryou has forgotten everything about himself and us. He will be sent to the Mortal Realm, and if his love is true and his destiny is with the Demonic Heir, their paths will cross," King Yugi explained.

"Does he remember his name? He should at least be allowed to remember his name!" Joey demanded. He was rather protective of his charge.

"Yes, Joey. I allowed him to know his name, but other than that his mind is blank. Would you please transport him to the Mortal Realm? It should be dark now, so no one will notice you fly down there."

"Of course, your majesty."

Joey scooped Ryou up into his arms. He did not like what was happening, but he had no choice in the matter. Hopefully, Ryou would forget that Demon and come back home. Joey flew gracefully through the gates of the Angel Realm and gently spiraled downwards, towards the Mortal Realm.

He looked around for somewhere to leave Ryou before finally spotting a poorhouse. Deciding that it would be the best place to leave the prince, Joey went into the alleyway right to the side of the poorhouse. Joey gently laid Ryou down on the ground. Once sure Ryou would be found in the morning, he extended his wings and took off to the Angel Realm.

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Bakura, the heir to the Demonic Throne, was in his room. It was located at the very top of the highest tower of the castle. He was sitting on the window ledge, one leg hanging to the side, his chin resting on the knee of the other.

Whenever Bakura had to be found, this was the first place one would look for him. They would always find him sitting there, staring off into space. No one ever asked why he was always there, for fear of facing his wrath.

It was the only place he ever felt safe…no that wasn't the proper word to use, more like secure. He always felt as if someone watched over him, while he was there. Like he was cared for. It was the one place he could let down his cold, uncaring mask, with eyes that promised a cruel and torturous fate for any who displeased him.

He had the slightest suspicion that he had seen a pair of green eyes gazing down at him. From a _cloud_, now that was preposterous. The only people who had their domain in clouds were the Angels, and never would an Angel look over a Demon. Never. So he quickly dismissed the green eyes he had imagined in the clouds.

But…lately, the feeling of security and adoration had disappeared. It has been gone for a while. A few weeks to be exact. He never asked himself why he had kept track of how long the feeling of being watched over had been gone. He growled in frustration. _Why _did it disappear like that? He stormed out of his dark room.

"TRISTEN!" Bakura hollered for his carriage driver as he stood at the front gate of the castle.

A Mortal brunette with brown eyes, who had his hair up in a single spike, rode up. He was driving a pitch black carriage that had ivory fangs and horns decorating it, making it look very lethal and ominous. The two horses were also pitch black with eerie white eyes that had no pupils, and sharp ivory teeth. They pawed the ground impatiently. Tristen looked at Bakura nervously.

"It's about damn time, you Mortals are so slow!" Bakura snarled. He inwardly laughed at the look of pure terror upon Tristen's face.

"I-I'm sorry sir, I'll be faster next t-time," he stuttered.

"Tch, whatever. Just go around town, I have no destination in particular to go to," Bakura ordered.

"Yes, sir."

Bakura gazed out of his window. Just as he started spacing out again, he heard whimpering and begging. Bakura's curiosity got the better of him and quickly ordered to have the carriage stopped. Sharpening his hearing, Bakura stepped out of the carriage and followed the direction the voices were coming from.

"S-stop, please…leave me alone…" the softer of the two voices whimpered.

"Aw, c'mon pretty thing, don't be like that…" the other voice cackled.

Bakura turned the corner and saw a boy with long silver-white hair pinned to the wall by a common, filthy street beggar. Although he was much bigger than the defenseless silver-white haired boy. For some reason, the sight of the innocent boy getting hurt threw him into a fit of rage.

Bakura's teeth elongated and sharpened as his nails grew stronger, longer, and very sharp. And last, but not least, a pair of vast, black leathery wings sprouted from his back. The tips of his wings had lethal-looking talons. Bakura let out an irate hiss and tore the beggar away from the boy and pinned him to the wall.

"What do you think you were doing to that boy, Mortal?" Bakura snarled, red eyes blazing angrily. The beggar tried to appear calm, but failed miserably.

"I-I was trying to get the b-boy to work for me! He's a gold-mine, look at him!" the beggar man said.

"You were going to sell his body to others for pleasure?" Bakura hissed, "You Mortals disgust me!" And with that he broke the neck of the weak beggar.

Ryou had slid to the ground as soon as the Demon separated him from the beggar. Ryou watched the entire ordeal through tear-filled eyes. It was obvious the other was a Demon, with his pitch-black wings, fangs, and claws. Ryou stifled a cry when the Demon broke the beggar's neck. Unfortunately, Ryou's whimpers were heard. The Demon whirled around to face him.

Ryou gasped. The Demon was…was…beautiful. Not a bouquet of flowers type beautiful, but an alluring "dark, mysterious outsider" beautiful. The Demon's pale skin made him look more sinister than weak because of the Demon's blood-red eyes. A scar running through his right eye didn't mar the Demon's beauty, but in fact accented it. His silvery hair was wild and spiked up at odd angles. Ryou was sure his heart stopped at the sight of this dark and stunning creature.

Bakura had a similar reaction, but he hid his emotions well. _How could anyone ever think of using this perfect picture of innocence? _he thought. The boy had pale skin and long, silky, silvery-white hair. The most enchanting feature by far was his eyes. They were the brightest emeralds he had ever seen. The young Mortal's entire being radiated purity and innocence.

"Are you alright, boy?" Bakura asked gruffly. Bakura stared down at him. Being a Demon, he didn't show any compassionate emotion towards _any _Mortal. The boy nodded nervously.

"What are you, mute? Tell me your name boy."

"I-I'm R-Ryou."

"Come with me," Bakura ordered.

Bakura strode ahead towards his carriage. Ryou followed while keeping his eyes on the ground before him, not daring to glance at the angry Demon. The Demon stepped up into a menacing carriage. Ryou glanced at the carriage uncertainly. The Demon glared at him.

"Well? Get in already."

Ryou scrambled into the carriage and sat opposite from the Demon. The Demon seemed to be lost in thought. Ryou gave him several shy glances; there was something about the Demon…Ryou quickly shook off the feeling.

"Where do you live?" Bakura's voice startled Ryou from his reverie.

"Um, I live at the local poorhouse. I've been away for too long, Malik might be worried," Ryou added the last comment as an afterthought. Bakura merely nodded in acknowledgement. He ordered the driver to take them to the poorhouse. Ryou shifted nervously.

"Uh, you…you never told me your name…" Ryou whispered timidly. The Demon looked at him skeptically.

"Bakura, it's Bakura." he muttered resentfully.

Ryou's eyes widened. First off, he'd been saved by a cold-hearted Demon. But no, not just any Demon. He was the Heir of Demons. He was the _Prince _of Demons. Fate had such a strange sense of humor.

"P-Prince Bakura?" Ryou asked, shocked. He received a glare.

"Yes, if you've got a problem with that, I'll just leave you to the next street rat that tries to take advantage of you," Bakura snarled angrily.

"N-no! I…it's just…I meant no disrespect your highness," Ryou stuttered. Bakura hated being called by his titled. He didn't know why it irked him, it just did.

"Shut up, we're here," Bakura said.

Bakura walked Ryou to the front door of the poorhouse. A blonde-haired, tanned-skinned individual rushed out and tackled Ryou to the ground.

"RYOU! I WAS SO WORRIED! DON'T EVER DISAPPEAR LIKE THAT EVER AGAIN! I NEARLY DIED FROM PANIC! WHAT WERE YOU THINKING YOU LITTLE BRAT?"

"Malik, calm down. I'm fine." Ryou tried to reassure Malik. Bakura glared at the two, disgusted. _Mortals, they're so…emotional,_ Bakura thought, appalled.

"Now that I've met your caretaker," Bakura started, ending the repulsively tender moment, "I want to discuss the Life Debt you owe me."

"L-Life Debt?" Malik and Ryou questioned simultaneously.

Bakura smirked maliciously. _This is going to be fun,_ he thought.

TBC

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Jaazi: Mwahaha, a cliffy. God, I hate cliffies. I would've continued the chapter, but I wanted to post this as soon as possible.

KK: If you want another update, you have to review!

DJ: REVIEW NOW!

Jaazi & KK: PLEASE!


	3. Life Debt

Jaazi: Thanks much to all of my reviewers! **Redconvoy**, **Fear of Falling**, **Hakudoshi-chan**, **DemonicMistress Kree-kun**, **xShatteredSoulx**, **Lady Samurai**, **T.Lei**, **Punkergirl-Aira**, **Kikyou-sama**, **Puffin**, **Chibikitsune**.

DJ: Yeah, yeah, get on with the fic already!

Jaazi: Hmph! Fine!

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Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Not Ryou, not Bakura, not Tomb-Robber Bakura's cool red cloak thing…I really like that cloak thing, if I stole it no one would notice right? _(shifty eyes)_

_Previously_

"_L-Life Debt?" Malik and Ryou questioned simultaneously._

_Bakura smirked maliciously. This is going to be fun he thought

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**Chapter Three: Life Debt**

Bakura smirked at the shocked expression on Malik's face. Malik's shocked expressions melted into a smug expression as he glanced over Bakura.

"Nice try, but only Demons can call on a Life Debt and only high ranking Demons at that," Malik retorted.

Bakura's arrogant smirk widened. During the carriage ride, he had hid his wings, fangs, claws, and other such Demonic attributes. Now, he looked pretty much human, Mortal. Since he was being denied his Life Debt, he extended his majestic wings and showed them off shamelessly. His wings were larger than most Demons and it's talons were bigger and sharper than most also. Not all Demons had such impressive, well cared for wings, such as his. Malik gaped and spluttered angrily. He then turned to Ryou.

"How many times have I told you to STAY AWAY from Demons! Never to let them do favors for you! Now I have to…to…," Malik choked.

Over the past few weeks since he had found the little foreigner, he had grown quite attached to him. Malik was in charge of the poorhouse and took Ryou in. He had found it odd that Ryou couldn't remember anything but his name. For this reason, he had looked after Ryou personally, especially since Ryou was such a softie and easily hurt. Now, he thought of Ryou as brother. He had warned Ryou to avoid Demons at all costs, also. Several times, actually and now, because he left him alone for a few minutes, he was going to have to agree to a Life Debt. To the PRINCE of Demons, no less.

"Um, excuse me. What's a Life Debt?" Ryou's timid voice broke the silence that the three of them had fallen into.

"To put it simply, so that you Mortals can understand," Bakura sneered, "I saved your life, now you OWE me your life. You are to become my servant and do as I wish."

"Servant! SERVANT? He's going to be practically your SLAVE! You Demons are heartless BASTARDS!" Malik screeched.

"And what are you going to do about it, _Mortal_?" Bakura glared.

"I won't let you take him away!" Malik spat.

"You know the law, you either cooperate with me, or I'll kill you," Bakura replied icily. He wasn't going to give up this green-eyed beauty without a fight.

"I'd like to see you try, _Demon_," Malik spat angrily.

Malik suddenly found himself lifted three feet into the air by a very infuriated Prince. Bakura was _never_ denied of something he wanted. Never. If he had to snap this weak Mortal's neck, it was no skin of his back. Malik struggled against Bakura's grasp. He choked, started to feel the effects of lack of oxygen. Bakura's hand tightened around Malik's neck as he bared his fangs to the Mortal who dared defy him.

"NO! Put him down! Please put him down! I'll go with you just let Malik go!" Ryou pleaded. He had fallen to his knees in panic and was tugging on Bakura's arm. Bakura looked down at Ryou and gave him a cold glare, but dropped Malik to the ground. Malik landed roughly on his rear. Bakura grasped the back of Ryou's neck.

"At least _one_ of you have some sense. Come Ryou, I'm taking you to my castle. We're going to have so much fun together," Bakura sent one last glare at Malik and practically dragged Ryou to the carriage. Ryou whimpered.

Bakura and Ryou were safely in the carriage by the time that Malik recovered from his daze of being dropped to the ground like that. Malik had tears in his eyes as he watched the carriage and Ryou leave. There was nothing he could do, once a Demon claimed a Life Debt the Mortal in question had no choice at all but to follow their new Master. Malik walked back into the poorhouse, tears streaming down his face. A girl with red-brown hair stepped up to Malik. She had seen the entire thing.

"Brother Ryou is gone? He's not coming back?" the girl asked, she couldn't be any older than ten or so.

"No, Serenity, he's not coming back," Malik managed to choke out. Serenity's bottom lip quivered, but she refused to let her tears fall. She held onto Malik.

She was an orphan that Malik had taken in. They were practically family. Malik considered most of the people in the poorhouse family, being an orphan himself. He had inherited the poorhouse from his parents, who had been the ones previously in charge before they both died of an illness. Serenity sighed sadly as she watch Malik suffer the loss of another one of his "family members."

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Ryou cowered into the corner of the carriage as he watched the an ominous stone castle as it grew nearer. He wanted nothing more than have Bakura wrap his arms around him and whisper soothing words into his ear. Ryou blushed at the thought and shook his head. How could even think of THAT? He had only just met the Demon and as far as he knew, he was an evil coldhearted bastard who would kill to get his way…but then, why would he save him? And it felt as if he had seen Bakura before too. Ryou cast the Demon a shy glance.

Bakura really was…dangerously beautiful. He was so dark but…there was something else, he just couldn't put his finger on. Everyone had to have emotions, even the coldest of Demons. Ryou believed that there was some good in everyone and if he succeeded in bringing the good out of Bakura, well, that would be enough to make him happy.

Ryou was startled out of his musings when he realized that Bakura had opened the carriage's door to let him out. Ryou stepped out meekly, his white gown causing him to stumble into Bakura's arms. Bakura, instinctively, outstretched his arms to catch him. The little angel fit in his arms as if he was made specially for him. Ryou blushed, the pink tinge making him look even more adorable than ever. Bakura's eyes widened as he realized what he had been thinking and quickly pushed Ryou away from him. Ryou stumbled backwards, but managed to maintain his balance, a hurt expression on his face. Bakura ignored it and began walking briskly into the castle.

"Come," he said roughly.

Ryou followed obediently. He eyes darted everywhere, admiring the dark wonders of the castle. There were several painting and tapestries adorning the stone walls. Most of them depicting Demons feasting on the blood of an unfortunate Mortal or Angel. The Demons feastingon an Angel's blood seemed to be in sheer ecstasy.Some paintings, though, were there to show the splendor of darkness and night.

As Ryou admired the amazingly descriptive paintings and tapestries, Bakura took the chance to look him over. Ryou's skin was as pale as milk, even paler than Bakura's, if that were even possible. His hair was a delicate silvery-white, looking nothing more than moonlight, itself. His gorgeous green eyes shone with innocence and purity.

Bakura noted that Ryou was wearing a simple white gown, made of cheap, coarse, material. The gown reached a little below the boys ankles, and although it was roughly made, it showed off Ryou's lithe, feminine figure. The gown was a bit big for Ryou, it looked more like a very long t-shirt than anything else. The sleeves kept slipping off of his shoulders, leaving them exposed. Every now and then, Ryou would attempt to pull the sleeves up to cover his shoulders, but it wouldn't stay up. Bakura, of course, didn't mind it at all.

Bakura led Ryou through several halls and a few stairways. Along the way, they were stopped by a Demon. The Demon had long blonde hair and purple eyes. She was scantily dressed in purple and black clothing. She took one look at the boy and smirked at Bakura.

"Now, where did you find a sweetie, like him?" she asked Bakura.

"Back off, Mai. He owes me a Life Debt and you know I don't like sharing my servants," he growled. Mai cackled.

"Servants? That boy's a slave until you decide to let him go! And judging by how he pretty looks, I'd say you're not letting go anytime soon. What's the sweetheart's name?" Mai asked Ryou. Ryou blushed at Mai's compliment.

"I-I'm Ryou," Ryou stuttered. Mai resisted the urge to squeal at his cuteness.

"Well, Ryou, aren't you the most adorable little thing I ever did see? If Bakura hurts you in anyway, let me know and I'll rearrange his face for you," Mai said playfully. Bakura growled at her.

"Enough! Get some of the servants to bring some clothing and an extra cot up to my bedroom," Bakura ordered crossly.

Mai smirked arrogantly. She gave Bakura a mocking curtsy, "Of course, Your Highness, anything for you…But you hurt that cutie and I'll hurt you. Got that?" and with that she left.

Bakura growled under his breath, making random comments on 'that good-for-nothing wench, Mai' or 'stupid Yami, lousy King of Demons' and even a 'hope Kaiba gets caught by Angels and tortured'. Ryou found these comments very random, odd, and slightly amusing.

They had now reached the top of a tower and walked into a room. The room had stone walls like the rest of the castle. There was a four-poster bed. It's coverings were pitch black and so was it's canopy. The floor was covered by a red rug thing. It wasn't a bright scarlet red, either, it was one of those dark, dark reds that seemed as if it had been laced with black. It was a bloody red, to match the Demon's eyes. The dresser was black too. It seemed that everything in the room was either black or dark red. There was even a fireplace, although it looked as though it had never been used.

Abruptly, a cot materialized near the four-poster bed and on it was some proper fitting clothing. The clothes were exactly like the gown Ryou currently had on, only more snug fitting and the gown was not as long. It only reached to his knees and there were also sets of trousers to go along with the gown-thing.

"B-Bakura?" Ryou whispered.

"Master. It's Master Bakura. Mai's right, you belong to me until I decide I don't have any need for you any more. You are my slave. You have to obey my every command without complaint," Bakura said coldly. Ryou looked a bit put out by the statement, but got over it quickly. Ryou gave him the kindest, softest, most gentle smile he could muster. He didn't mind having to serve Bakura, he just wanted to make Bakura happy. He wanted Bakura to be pleased with him.

"Yes, Master Bakura. Master? Are those clothes for me?" Ryou asked. Bakura gave him a sharp nod, "What will be me my chores from now on?"

"You will be my personal servant. It'll be your job to make sure I get what I need. Mostly, you'll just be waking me up in the morning, making sure I get my meals on time, just your basic odds and ends. You'll be with me at all times, in case I ever need you to do something for me," Bakura said absentmindedly.

"Oh, okay! So, do you want me to change or something?" Ryou asked cheerfully. Bakura nearly flinched at Ryou's cheerful tone. His back had been facing Ryou this entire time. Ryou was rather hurt his master wouldn't face him. Was he that unworthy for him? To distract himself from his hurt, he glanced around the room again.

Ryou barely managed to smother a gasp. On the wall, hung a painting, two in fact. Now, Ryou had seen plenty of amazing, if a tad gory and frightening, paintings and tapestries. But these two, he fell in love with at once. The first one was hanging over the fireplace.

It was a painting portraying a clearing in a forest, the grass and trees' leaves were a dark, dark green. There was a dark blue-black sky, glittering with stars and a full moon shining onto the clearing. The greatest thing in the painting, however, was the two figures standing in the clearing. A Demon, with it's large black leathery wings encompassing an Angel. The Angel was in the Demon's arms, gazing up at the Demon with gentle eyes, his wings an amazing silver-white. The Demon was looking down at the Angel captive in his arms, his eyes showing a fierce protectiveness. Ryou loved the painting the moment he set his gaze upon it.

The second painting was hanging on the wall to the left of the wall that fireplace. This painting seemed to be split in two parts. The left half of the painting had a Demon in it. The background of it was a swirling mass of black and fiery flames. It seemed to be drenched in a bloody red color. The Demon was doubled over in…pain? The eyes of the Demon seemed to hold so much sadness, regret, and loneliness. It looked as if he was begging for the other figure in the painting to accept him, love him, and chase away the loneliness. The other half of the painting was white, it had some strokes of the palest blue, barely noticeable. It also appeared to have a slight silver shimmer in it. It contained a beautiful Angel. The Angel gazed down upon the Demon with such tender care, it was reaching out a hand towards the Demon. The whole Angel radiated loving care, his hand stopped right at the border between the two halves. The Demon's outstretched hand also stopped at the border. Both so close, but never making towards each other.

Bakura turned to face Ryou, when he heard his stifled gasp. Bakura's eyes widened when he realized what Ryou was gasping at. He actually _liked_ those paintings?

"What are you gaping at? Those things are horrible." he said irritably. Ryou blushed and looked down towards the floor.

"I'm sorry, Master."

"Whatever. Just get into your cot, it's late and I'm tired. I want to be awoken at sunrise. I have a meeting with Yami and I don't want to be late."

"With pleasure, Master."

Bakura changed into black silk pajama pants with a matching pajama top. Ryou blushed bright red at the sight of Bakura in only boxers (which were black silk also). His bare chest and abdomen had very well-toned muscles(1), Ryou noted before he ducked his head to hide his blushing. Bakura inwardly smirked at the boy's shyness and modesty. Ryou didn't even bother changing from his gown, which made perfect sleepwear.

Bakura drifted into a slumber shortly afterwards. Ryou on the other hand, didn't. He was restless and he kept glancing at the two paintings hanging in the room. He didn't understand why they had such an impact on him. The Demon reminded him strongly of Bakura and the Angel…he just felt…odd at the sight of the Angel. How he wished to be the Angel in the Demon's arms, how he longed to save the Demon from his torment. And above all, he wanted the Demon to be Bakura. He turned to watch his Demon Master. He watched him for quite some time, he was the sight that Ryou last saw before he finally fell asleep.

TBC

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(1) You can all stop drooling now! You don't want to fry your keyboard! _(DJ leaves with a few buckets of drool)_

DJ: Like you almost did? _(glares) _I don't want to lug your drool around anymore!

Jaazi: _(blushes) _Hehehe, er, yeah.

* * *

Jaazi: Third chapter! Finally. I've got veeeery good news for my readers! Guess what it is!

DJ: _(bored) _What is it? Just tell your pathetic bit of news already.

KK: Such enthusiasm. _(sarcastic)_

DJ: _(grins) _I know.

Jaazi: _(glares at DJ) _ANY ways, I'M OUT OF SCHOOL FOR THE SUMMER! That means more updates! YAAY!

KK: REVIEW PLEASE!

DJ: RIGHT NOW!

Jaazi: _(points to DJ and KK) _Listen to them, it'll make me happy!


	4. King of Demons and Mortals

Jaazi: Eek! I love my reviewers**! Fear of Falling**, **Kikyou-sama**, **Hakudoshi-chan**, **T. Lei**, **xShatteredSoulx**, **Punkergirl-Aira**, **Pork Steak the Grande**, **Princess Nefertari**, **Nuroi-Inu**, **Carmen-Nemrac**, **Lady Samurai**, **SoraAndTsukasa**, **Kittie**, **Dartz'LoyalServant**, **I am a Catlover**, **DemonicMistress Kree-kun**, **LunaBakura-Chan**, **Shortstory-Writer**.

**xShatteredSoulsx: **_(grins) _You weren't the only one, trust me…I have a vivid imagination also. How else would I be able to write stories?

**Punkergirl-Aira:** I purposely left that out. I wanted my readers to come up with that themselves. I personally imagined looking like Ryou and Bakura only with darker hair and skin.

Jaazi: _(bows)_ I got a lot of compliments on the paintings! Thank you! I really liked the paintings too. If I had any artistic abilities I'd draw them for you guys, but…well, I'm better at writing fanfics than drawing, to say the least.

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh…if I did, I can assure you I'd be the happiest person in the world! Not to mention, I'd probably have cash to spare…

_Previously_

_He turned to watch his Demon Master. He watched him for quite some time, he was the sight that Ryou last saw before he finally fell asleep.

* * *

_

**Chapter Four: King of Demons and Mortals**

Ryou woke at the crack of dawn. Ever since he can remember, he would wake up at dawn. Granted, he couldn't remember much, but from what he does remember, this is his usual wake up time. He walked over to where his Master was sleeping. His Master looked rather…handsome. Bakura had somehow managed to lose his pajama top sometime during the night. Ryou resisted the urge to reach out and trace his Master's muscled abdomen. Instead, he called out his Master's name, in hopes of waking him up.

"Master Bakura? Master Bakura, it's time to wake up," Ryou said softly, "Master Bakura, you have to go meet His Majesty today, remember? Please wake up, Master," Ryou reached out to shake Bakura's shoulder.

As soon as he made skin contact with his Master, Bakura leapt out of bed, flipped Ryou around and pulled him close. Ryou's back was pressed against Bakura's heaving chest. Ryou would have enjoyed being in this position with Bakura if it weren't for one tiny, little detail. At Ryou's throat, was a dagger, a very well-cared for _sharp_ dagger. The dagger at his throat was being held by his dear Master Bakura.

"Master Bakura!" Ryou squeaked.

Bakura blinked and looked down at a mop of white tame hair. Before he could help himself, he buried his nose into Ryou's hair. It was so silky and soft, Bakura nearly groaned in pleasure, but restrained himself at the last moment. Ryou smelled so nice…like vanilla and mint. Bakura shook himself and pushed Ryou. Ryou landed on the floor as Bakura sheathed his dagger.

"What in the name of all that is corrupt and tainted did you think you were doing?" Bakura snarled. Ryou whimpered and pressed himself against the wall at Bakura's tone.

"I-I'm sorry! I…Master, you told me to wake you up, I didn't know you disliked being touched. I won't do it again, Master, I promise," Ryou whispered. Bakura glared at him.

"You had better not. Hurry up and get dressed. Then go to the kitchens and get me some breakfast," he ordered.

He turned to get some clothing on. Ryou noticed something on the back of Bakura's neck, right where the neck connected to the shoulders. A symbol of some sort, in black and blood red. Before Ryou could get a closer look, Bakura's hair covered it again. Ryou sat at his cot waiting for Bakura to tell him to do something.

To his surprise, Bakura dropped back into his four-poster bed. He was all dressed and ready to leave, but instead of leaving, he laid back down in bed as if to sleep longer. Ryou blinked confusedly, wasn't Bakura supposed to meet the King of Demons? Bakura lay on his side, watching Ryou's bewildered expression. _How cute_, Bakura thought sardonically, ignoring the little voice in his head that completely agreed with him, minus the sarcasm.

"Master? W-weren't you s-supposed to meet…?" Ryou stuttered nervously. The way those red eyes were watching him was making him uncomfortable. Ryou blushed under Bakura's scrutiny.

"Yes, but I'm waiting for the breakfast I asked for," Bakura gave him a devilish smirk.

Ryou's eyes widened and he let out a small 'meep!' then scurried out of the room. He could've sworn he heard Bakura let out a dark chuckle, but he could've been imagining it.

* * *

Ryou wandered around the castle's halls. He had forgotten to ask where the kitchens were and now he was hopelessly lost. Thankfully, he and Bakura had woken up very early, around four-o'-clock Mortal time, so, even if Ryou didn't find the kitchens right away, they wouldn't be late to meet the King.

Ryou was keeping close to the castle's cold stone walls, watching the different paintings. Demons might be evil and cruel, but they have amazing artistic talents. Ryou was distracted from his search for the kitchens by a particularly gruesome painting.

It depicted a dark-winged Demon, the same Demon from the two other paintings in Bakura's room, with an Angel, the same Angel from the other paintings previously mentioned. Only this one, the Demon was clutching on to the limp Angel in his arms. Down the Angel's pale throat was silver-streaked blood dribbling down from a wound. The Demon's mouth was attached to the Angel's bleeding neck. The Demon drank in the blood greedily, blissfully. The Angel didn't seem to put up a struggle, instead gave itself willingly to the hungry Demon(1). Again, Ryou felt a certain connection with the Angel for reasons he couldn't comprehend.

Ryou was about to reach out and touch the painting when someone called out his name. Well, not his name, but he knew the person was referring to him.

"What's a cute little Mortal like you doing up at this ungodly hour, hm?" Mai asked playfully. Ryou whirled around to face her.

"Oh! Good morning, madam," Ryou said politely, bowing slightly. Mai laughed, cheerfully ruffling Ryou's soft white hair.

"You're such a sweetie! Just call me Mai, madam makes me feel old. And there's no need to bow to me," she said kindly. Ryou blushed again. Mai might be a bit loud, but she was very friendly. Ryou decided that Mai was a good person.

"Alright…Mai," Ryou let the name roll off his tongue, trying to get used to it.

"So, dear little Ryou, what are doing here so early in the morning?" Mai asked pleasantly.

"W-well, I had to wake Master Bakura this morning and he wanted some breakfast, but I…I kinda forgot where the kitchens were located," Ryou blushed embarrassedly. Mai blinked back in shock.

"You WHAT? Do you have a death wish? No one wakes Prince Bakura without getting seriously injured! Damn him and his blasted paranoia. Are you hurt? Bleeding? Bruised? Anything?" Mai asked, frantically searching Ryou for any injuries. She growled under her breath, "If he hurt you I'm going to castrate him!"

"What!" Ryou squeaked nervously, "I'm fine, Mai. Honestly! Could you please tell me where the kitchens are? Master Bakura's going to be upset I took so long already. And please don't hurt him, he didn't harm me, honest!"

Mai grumbled, "I'm surprised you aren't dead. C'mon, cutie, I'll show you to the kitchens. I'm getting hungry anyway."

Ryou and Mai strolled down a few halls to the kitchens. They chatted amiably like old friends. Upon reaching the kitchens, Mai helped Ryou pick out the food for Bakura, on account that 'that moody old grouch of a Demon might flay you alive if you even breathe wrong'. Ryou held back a laugh. Apparently Mai held as high regards of Bakura as Bakura did of Mai. They parted once they reached the Bakura's tower.

* * *

After saying goodbye to Mai, Ryou made his way quickly up the cold stone steps. The coldness of the stone seeped through his thin leather slippers. He held the tray tightly so that it wouldn't slip out of his grasp. He nudged the door open to find Bakura sprawled on his bed, glaring at the canopy of his bed.

"It's about damn time! I sent you out an hour ago!" Bakura growled as he snatched the tray from Ryou. He settled down on his bed once again and began to eat. Ryou sat on his cot, watching his Master eat. Bakura ate about half of what Ryou got him when he pushed the tray towards Ryou.

"I don't want anymore. Enjoy," he said sarcastically. He had meant it to be insulting, but Ryou beamed at him.

"Thank you Master," he said appreciatively. He promptly began eating his Master's leftovers. Bakura raised an eyebrow at the happy boy that was eating before him.

It was customary that personal slaves, such as Ryou, to eat their masters' leftover food. Normally, a newly made slave would put up a fight or show some sort of rebelliousness and be insulted by the fact that they couldn't even have their own meals, but Ryou…he didn't seem to mind at all.

He might've known Ryou for barely a day but…Ryou didn't appear to be the kind of person who'd be spiteful and pessimistic. He seemed to be more of a person who'd look at life as a glass half-full instead of half-empty. Actually, Bakura didn't know that much about his new Mortal slave, and, despite his apathetic nature, he was curious.

"Ryou…tell me about yourself." Bakura said suddenly. Ryou looked up from his breakfast and blinked cutely at his Master.

"Master?" he asked. Bakura let out a mock upset sigh.

"I'm bored, so entertain me by telling me about yourself," Bakura explained patiently. Why he was being so patient when he would've normally just kill the boy for his slowness was beyond him.

"Okay, but I really don't know much about myself either," Ryou whispered self-consciously. Now it was Bakura's turn to blink confusedly.

"What is that supposed to mean, **slave**?" Bakura emphasized the word slave. Just in case the boy was lying to him, he was giving him the chance to tell him the truth.

"I-I…I can't remember much about me. In fact, the only thing I actually know about myself is my name. Malik found me in the alleyway next to his poorhouse, he took me in and took care of me. I only remember what's happened to me the past month, ever since Malik found me," Ryou explained. Bakura's eyes narrowed suspiciously, either he was telling the truth or Ryou is a very good actor.

"Very well…then tell me what you do remember," Bakura said, still not fully believing his slave. Ryou's eyes glimmered with joy.

"I had so much fun at the poorhouse. Malik always looked out for me and told me what to watch out for. He was always so nice! If I ever had nightmares, he would comfort me," Ryou said with adoration. For some reason, Bakura felt the sudden urge to go tear off Malik's head. Ryou was oblivious to Bakura's murderous mood, however.

"And then there was Serenity. She's an orphan and she would follow me around everywhere! She sort of adopted me as her big brother. She's so sweet and kind. She looked up to me. It was cute," Ryou giggled happily.

"I didn't ask to know about your **'family' **I asked to know about **you**," Bakura said irritably.

He didn't know why he was feeling so annoyed, but he didn't like it. Or Malik and Serenity, for some reason. Ryou looked confused for a moment. He then fidgeted a little, looking uncomfortable. Bakura's intense gaze was making Ryou nervous. Part of Ryou **liked** having Bakura's attention all centered on him, but another part of him was afraid that he'd say something wrong and Bakura would end up not liking him.

"Well…I'm not sure what to say about myself," Ryou said timidly. Bakura rolled his eyes.

"Most people would say what they like and don't like," Bakura growled impatiently.

"Oh! I love to look after children. I used to help Malik with the children all the time. I also love gardening. Malik would always get me new seeds and plants for my garden whenever he could. That was very nice of him, considering they cost a lot of money, which is something we never had enough of. Malik says I'm a good cook, too. I don't mind cooking, it's like a hobby for me. I can sew and weave. I once made this blanket for Serenity, she liked it so much she nearly cried," Ryou said happily.

"So basically, you're all set up to be the perfect little housewife," Bakura snorted derisively.

Inwardly, Bakura was throwing a fit. Again with the Malik and Serenity! Satan below(2), couldn't this boy talk of anything else? Ryou had some strange hobbies, too. Such girly hobbies. Add that to the fact that he looks like a girl…Bakura shook his head in disbelief. Bakura lifted himself out of bed and glared to his slave.

"Come. We're going to meet Yami…the worst King of Demons there's ever been," Bakura muttered. Ryou tilted his head to the side, apparently Bakura wasn't too fond of his king.

* * *

In the large and comfortably furnished common room of the castle, Yami was patiently waiting for his Heir. Patiently? Yami scoffed. He was nothing near patient, at least when it came to his Heir, he wasn't. Yami had chosen his Heir carefully, and he refused to go soft on him. After all, the King of Demons and Mortals had to cruel, cold-hearted, and sadistic, otherwise he would never be able to rule over them properly.

The reason he had chosen Bakura for his Heir in the first place had not been because he liked Bakura. He absolutely **loathed** him. He chose Bakura because he was strong, stubborn, and sadistic. He was also selfish, territorial, and possessive. In short, Bakura was excellent king material.

King Yami sighed. Although he didn't look it, he was getting old. Demons can stop their aging from continuing at whatever age they want. The same is said for the Angels. King Yami had chosen to stop his aging to appear seventeen (in Mortal years), but in reality he was over five thousand years old (Mortal years). If he hadn't chosen an Heir, he would've been overthrown. His people wanted to be ruled by someone young with a cunning mind. Someone like Bakura.

King Yami glanced at the clock, once again and growled. His Heir was late…again. Just as he was about to order a servant to fetch Bakura, the large wooden doors slammed open. Yami didn't have to look up to know it was Bakura. His aura was very unique, always so…temperamental.

Yami finally opened his eyes to see his Heir. He took in the scene calmly. Bakura wore his typical black leather coat, along with the usual black silk shirt and jeans. All in all, a commoner's scruffy appearance. Yami resisted the urge to yell at Bakura for his defiant way of dressing. However, a sudden gasp from behind Bakura, stopped him.

The gasp had come from Ryou. As soon as the frail boy set eyes on the King he felt as though he saw a flash of a memory in his mind's eye. A boy, slighter shorter than him, with tri-colored hair, a cherubic face and wide, brilliant eyes. The image flashed in his mind and disappeared as suddenly as it came. Ryou blinked in confusion as he watched the King of Demons rise from his seat to greet the Heir.

"Bakura…you're late," Yami stated coldly.

Bakura grunted in response as he sat himself in an empty chair facing Yami. A servant came forth and set some tea and crumpets. Bakura scowled at the food and drink set before him.

"What is this? A fucking tea party?" Bakura spat angrily. Yami glared at him.

"I'll ignore that rude and highly improper comment. We have more important matters to discuss," Yami said icily.

Ryou sat quietly next to Bakura, legs folded beneath him. He as a slave, an inferior, had to sit on the floor next to Bakura's chair. Ryou's eyes glazed over in thought. He pondered over the image that he saw or remembered. Where had he seen that violet-eyed boy? Ryou frowned and he absentmindedly laid his head down onto Bakura's leg, his eyes drooping tiredly. Ryou hazily heard snippets of their conversation.

"…conquering the Angels' Realm…"

"Army is twice it's size than before…"

"yeah, with pathetic Mortals!"

Bakura, being the good little Heir that he was, threw in his own sarcastic, cynical comments here and there, throughout Yami's lecture. Bakura didn't react when Ryou rested his head on his lap, but he did notice what Ryou did. Bakura didn't want to draw attention to his new slave. He was feeling oddly protective of Ryou, for some reason, and he didn't want Yami to see him. Instead, Bakura remembered how soft and silky Ryou's hair felt. He then idly began running his fingers through Ryou's soft silvery-white tresses, relishing the velvety feeling it brought to his fingertips.

Ryou was half asleep, vaguely noticing someone petting his hair. It felt so nice. Ryou sleepily nuzzled against Bakura and purred softly. Ryou was now fully asleep, still purring contentedly. Bakura quirked an eyebrow at the purring boy. His eyes widened when he noticed Yami had stopped lecturing and was eyeing Ryou with interest.

"Well, well, well, who do we have here?" Yami hummed seductively. "He **is** rather pretty isn't he?" He asked lustfully.

"He's **my** new slave. Mine, so keep your hands off of him," Bakura growled menacingly. Yami raised a questioning eyebrow.

"So protective? Over a mere Mortal, no less. Why, Bakura?" Yami asked in that annoying superior tone of his.

"He's…he's my property, I've always been protective over what's mine," Bakura said confidently. Yami, though, caught a hint of doubt in his voice.

"He is attractive. Perhaps you'd let me borrow your new pleasure-slave sometime?" Yami asked.

He was curious to how his Heir would react to the request. Not surprisingly, Bakura practically foamed at the mouth, his garnet eyes flashing angrily. He even went so far as to bare his fangs at Yami. Yami knew that, had it been anyone else, Bakura would have kept a mask of indifference or killed the questioner in a blink of an eye. But Yami always seemed to drive him off the deep end and he got the brunt of Bakura's angry emotions constantly.

"No! Firstly, he's not a pleasure-slave. Secondly, I do not **ever** share what is mine, and thirdly, why would I share with **you** of all people?" Bakura spat, seething in anger.

During Bakura's angry tirade, Ryou shifted into semi-consciousness. His Master was upset he sleepily noted. He then heard someone murmur something softly, but coldly, and Ryou suddenly found himself on the hard, cold floor, Bakura standing over him. Bakura's gaze, however, was on the King.

"I'VE GOT TO WHAT?" Bakura screeched.

TBC

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(1) There! Another pretty...and gory-ish...painting! Hope you like!

(2) I got this curse thing from Ryuujitsu's fic, **Faust**. It might not be exactly the same, since I haven't read the fic in awhile, but it's not mine. It's Ryuujitsu's, okay? On a side note, I **highly recommend Faust**, it is an awesome tendershipping fic!

* * *

Jaazi: Don't kill me! I'm sorry for the cliffy but…I thought it might be fun to make it a surprise for the next chapter! _(ducks behind DJ)_ Don't hurt me!

DJ: Tch, if you wanted to be unharmed, why are you torturing them? _(eye roll)_

Jaazi: _(sighs) _I know…

KK: _(cheerfully) _Weeeeell, if you want to know what happens next, you must…REVIEW!


	5. Damn it!

Jaazi: Mucho thanks to my reviewers! **Lady Samurai**, **LunaBakura-chan**, **Punkergirl-Aira**, **Hakudoshi-chan**, **Fear of Falling**, **Dehctiweb**, **Kikyo-sama**, **Shortstory-writer**, **DemonicMistress Kree-Kun**, **Carmen-Nemrac**, **I am a Catlover**, **Chibikuro Rose-sama**, **Yunaresuka**, **Taikai no za Kakoro**, **Princess Neferari**, **Dartz'LoyalServant**.

**Taikai no za Kakoro:** WOW! I inspired an artist! I'm soooo glad I managed to help you, however indirectly! Oh! Can I see the art you've made? I'm sure they're very good!

* * *

Disclaimer: I own nothing…Yugioh is not mine…either way I say it, it sounds depressing…I'm going to go cry now…

_Previously_

"_I'VE GOT TO WHAT?" Bakura screeched.

* * *

_

**Chapter Five: Damn it!**

"I REFUSE! THERE'S NO WAY IN HELL!" Bakura raged at his King.

Ryou glanced at Bakura worriedly. He didn't hear what Bakura had to do, but apparently Bakura didn't seem too fond of the idea. Ryou turned to look at King Yami. Yami was looking at Bakura tiredly, like a parent waiting for their toddler to finish their temper tantrum.

"Bakura, calm down…it's necessary that you do this," Yami reasoned patiently.

"WHY? SO THAT YOU COULD GET YOUR GREEDY HANDS ON MORE TERRITORY?" Bakura yelled back.

"It's for the good of your future kingdom!" Yami replied angrily. His patience was wearing thin.

Bakura paced back in forth, occasionally spouting some profanity. He seemed to be in his own world. Ryou didn't know what to do.

He wanted to calm Bakura down, to see him at serene and at ease like he used to be when Ryou watched him from above…Wait, watched him from above? Where'd that come from? Ryou shook his head to clear those confusing thoughts.

Suddenly, Ryou stood up and gently grabbed a hold of Bakura's arm. Bakura spun around to see who dared interrupt his tirade. His glare landed on a pair of wide, innocent green eyes that brimmed over with confusion. Bakura's glare simmered to a simple annoyed look. He huffed and fell into his chair moodily.

Ryou smiled gently and sat on the floor next to Bakura. His hand was still resting on Bakura's arm. Bakura either didn't notice or didn't care, because he didn't make Ryou stop. Ryou watched Bakura adoringly as he was stared off into space sullenly. Ryou resisted the urge to smile. Bakura looked like a child who didn't get his candy.

Yami watched this exchange with interest. Bakura and his new slave were rather attached. The fact that someone could calm Bakura down with a simple touch astounded Yami greatly. If it had been anyone else, Bakura would have torn said person to shreds. Yami smirked.

"Bakura. Do you like your new slave?" Yami asked listlessly. Bakura's head snapped up, eyes filled with suspicion.

"What are you getting at, **_my King_**?" asked Bakura sardonically.

"It's just…he could get hurt. Just do what I asked you to and I can guarantee your precious new plaything," Yami said with a smirk.

"Are you threatening **my** slave?" Bakura glared at Yami. No one touched his things, no one.

"What do you think?" Yami glared back

"You're saying that if I don't…**marry** that idiotic psychopath, you'll have my slave killed?" Bakura spat angrily. The two glared at each other even more intensely than before. The glare-fest was interrupted by Ryou.

"Master, you…you don't have to…I mean…you shouldn't marry him if you don't want to," Ryou stumbled over his words. He kept his head down, letting his long silver-white hair cover his blushing face.

Bakura frowned and gazed down at his slave's face in confusion. He was being threatened with death if his Master didn't do as the King asked and he still was telling his Master to do as he wishes? The boy was truly insane. Bakura had enslaved Ryou, taken away his freedom, and Ryou still was being kind and nice to him.

"See how sweet and selfless he's being? Now, do you really want something bad to happen to such a sweet, pretty little boy like him?" Yami said leeringly.

"Remind me again why you want me to marry the psychopath?" Bakura asked grudgingly. Yami smirked.

"He owns about half of the territory. Therefore, he reigns over more than half of the potential soldiers that could join our army. He's willing to give us the potential soldiers and his land for your hand in marriage," Yami explained.

"I never liked him. He's always groping me!" Bakura muttered angrily.

"And now you know why," Yami said mockingly.

"Fine!" Bakura spat before storming out of the room.

* * *

Bakura slammed the doors to his room shut angrily. They slammed so hard, the portraits rattled against the walls. Ryou, who had followed silently, quickly straightened the portraits so that they wouldn't fall to the ground.

"I can't believe him! I hate him! Hate him, hate him, hate him! Making me **MARRY**!** WITH MARIKU OF ALL PEOPLE!**" Bakura raged, pacing around the room.

It bothered Ryou to see his Bakura so stressed. He wished he could lay Bakura in bed and fondle his hair until he calmed. There wasn't anything more he wanted that moment than to calm Bakura.

"Master?" Ryou questioned softly. Bakura paused at Ryou's soothing voice.

"What?" he snapped. Ryou flinched.

"You…you didn't have to…didn't have to accept the marriage…so why…?" Ryou questioned.

"Don't ask stupid questions!" Bakura yelled angrily. Ryou whimpered and stepped back as if he were physically struck. Bakura resisted the urge to hug the boy and apologize.

"If you really want to know…I don't like having my things taken away from me and, as much as I hate to admit it, Yami has a point. It would help the kingdom if I married," Bakura said in a gruff whisper, his entire body trembling with rage.

Ryou reached forward and placed a gentle hand upon Bakura's arm and led him onto his bed. Bakura followed without protest. Raging at everyone and everything can be very tiring. Bakura laid down on his bed and sighed irritably. Ryou sat next to him, and waited patiently. Before too long, Bakura started talking to him.

"You probably don't even know who Mariku is, do you? No, of course you don't. He's the Lord of most of the western lands. Like Yami said, Mariku has a lot of people on his lands that could be soldiers," Bakura said.

"But he's King, couldn't he just order Mariku to hand them over?" Ryou asked.

"No, Mariku has enough soldiers of his own to challenge Yami's army. Mariku could easily attack us and take over. Thankfully, Mariku is insane enough to not care about taking us over. His personality can be childlike but he's rather sadistic and perverted.

"I'd really rather not marry him. He's always trying to touch me. I hate it. Of course I can't blame him, I **am** hot," he added with arrogantly. He turned to lay on his side, facing Ryou, "Don't you think so?" he asked teasingly. Ryou blushed.

Bakura was surprising himself immensely. He was never so open or talkative or even mildlyflirtyto anyone. **Anyone!** He was always cold and distant. Strangely enough, this boy made him feel secure and cared for…like he used to feel while sitting on his window ledge. And he had green eyes…like the ones he had seen in the clouds. This boy…was odd.

"Mariku, he reminds me of that boy you're always obsessing over," Bakura continued. Was that a hint of jealousy in his voice? Ryou shook his head, why would Bakura be jealous.

"Malik?"

"Yeah, him, whatever. Except his hair is much more spiked and his eyes have a reddish glint to them. He's really not that bad to look at, but I don't like him. I like that he enjoys torture, death, and blood, like any good Demon, but that's about it," Bakura sighed, frustrated.

Bakura stayed quiet after this. He wasn't used to talking so openly and so much in such a small amount of time. Ryou didn't say anything else, instead he busied himself organizing and tidying up the room. Soon, Bakura was sleeping again.

Ryou noticed that he had that effect on people. They found it so easy to talk to him and Ryou found it so easy to listen and comfort others. And after they had confessed their troubles, they would always go into a deep slumber. It was a healing slumber, where they would be able to sort through their troubles and wake up, being at peace with themselves. He didn't know why that happened, it just did. And he loved the fact that he could help people that way.

As he was finishing his cleaning, Ryou heard a pained growl from behind. He turned to see Bakura tossing and turning in bed. His brow was furrowed and there was a light sheen of sweat on him. Worried, Ryou went back to Bakura.

Although he knew that he shouldn't, Ryou leaned forward and threaded his fingers through Bakura's spiky hair, in a gentle, soothing manner. Bakura's thrashing slowed a bit, but did not completely stop. Ryou leaned forward a bit more and softly caressed Bakura's face, which was distorted in pain.

Ryou lost his balanced as Bakura's thrashing became violent again and fell over onto the bed. Bakura quickly, albeit subconsciously, wrapped himself around Ryou. Ryou let out an 'eep' and a blush. Bakura, still sleeping, pulled Ryou close and nuzzled his face in Ryou's soft silver-locks.

Ryou was pressed against Bakura's chest. Bakura had unbuttoned his black shirt all the way earlier so now his chest and abdomen were bare, much to Ryou's embarrassment. Ryou nestled his face into Bakura's honeyed torso. Not that he had much of a choice in the matter, considering that Bakura was holding him extremely close and had a rather tight grip on him.

Ryou did notice, though, that Bakura had calmed and was now resting peacefully. Ryou was glad that he had been able to ease Bakura, even if it was done unintentionally. Ryou didn't mind being this close to Bakura either.

Ryou knew that this was going to end sooner or later. As soon as Bakura awoke, Ryou would go back to being his unimportant slave. As much as this fact hurt him, he'd rather be Bakura's unimportant slave who was always around him than be back at the poorhouse away from Bakura forever. However unreturned his love might be, he'd give his life for Bakura, just for Bakura to be happy.

It wasn't reasonable, this love. He had known Bakura for only a couple of days, and he was all ready to give up his life for him, the Demon that took away his freedom. But there was a nagging feeling in the back of his mind, a feeling that told him that he had known Bakura from before, that he had loved Bakura long before Bakura had saved him and made him become a slave. It was the same feeling that brought to mind a boy with tri-colored spiky hair and wide amethyst eyes.

These confusing thoughts whirled around in his mind for awhile before he decided it was no use pondering over them. Instead, indulged himself into the moment before finally slipping into a blissful sleep.

* * *

Jaazi: Another chapter done! Okay, I put in as much tendershippy fluff as I could as a "I'm so, so, so uber-sorry for being mean and leaving you that evil cliffy!" gift!

Damian: She was very distressed. She didn't like the fact that she did something so mean.

DJ: Tch, I rather liked torturing the readers, bwahaha!

Damian: _(monotone)_ You would.

DJ: _(glares) _What do you mean by that?

_(the two commence bickering, DJ losing her temper at Damian's calmness)_

KK: _(nervously) _Er, ignore them and please review! We would like to apologize for the shortness of the chapter, but we wanted to update ASAP because of the cliffy! So, again, REVIEW PLEASE!


	6. Meeting a Friend and a Fiancee

Jaazi: Did you guys know that this is my second most popular story? According to the stats, that is! I could've never done it without my beloved reviewers.

KK: This goes to the following: **Hakudoshi-chan**, **Carmen-Nemrac**, **Lady Samurai**, **Chibikuro Rose-sama**, **Kikyou-sama**, **T. Lei**, **Shortstory-Writer**, **Shinigami**, **Punkergirl-Aira**, **Princess Nefertari**, **DemonicMistress Kree-kun**, **Taikai no za Kokoro**, **Ryou Marik**, **Suicidal Imbicile**, **Dartz'LoyalServant**, **AnGeLoFmErCeY94**, **Hikari-Aoi**, **LiNes**, **Ryou VeRua**, **LunaBakura-chan**, **Nuroi-Inu**, **Fuji-Dragon**, **Hato-Ryou-Chan**.

Damian: Those are a lot of reviewers…I'm impressed.

DJ: Tch, bunch of pathetic saps, reading crap like this.

Damian: I don't believe anyone asked for your unsupportive opinion.

DJ: _(twitches) _Keep talking Demon boy and I'll rearrange your face!

Damian: I'm sure you would.

* * *

Disclaimer: Waaaaaaaaah! I own nothing…not even dear, dear Ryou-pretty!

_Previously_

_These confusing thoughts whirled around in his mind for awhile before he decided it was no use pondering over them. Instead, indulged himself into the moment before finally slipping into a blissful sleep.

* * *

_

**Chapter Six: Meeting a Friend and a Fiancée**

Mariku rode cheerily in a very gloomy-looking carriage. The carriage's appearance was made more frightening as it was being pulled by creatures called thestrals(1)(2). Mariku was very pleased. Why wouldn't he be? He had finally gotten what he most desired. Bakura.

Mariku was not the most sane of Demons, to say the least. He was more of a ''let's go out and have a massacre'' type of Demon. He was also attracted to anything shiny. Seriously. He even had a collection of "Very-Pretty-Shiny-Things." Once he sees something shiny, he has to have it. This little obsession is what led to his infatuation with Bakura.

When Mariku first met Bakura he was stunned by the silver-ness of his hair. Especially when Bakura stood in the sunlight. His hair would shine ever so prettily Mariku just HAD to have it…him, whatever. Mariku would always touch Bakura, like wrap his arms around his waist from behind, run his fingers through Bakura's hair. His hands were sometimes prone to wandering to…_other_ places as well, but then Bakura would snarl and snap his fangs at Mariku. Once, he even managed to draw blood.

Mariku was so giddy, he could go to the Angels' Realm and scream from the top of his lungs! But he didn't, because he was sure Bakura wouldn't be too happy about it. And Bakura's happiness was top priority. After all, Bakura was his fiancée now.

* * *

Bakura was pacing in the great hall. Mariku was due to arrive from the Western lands soon. Bakura was scowling. He was not happy with the situation. Not happy at all. All the servants were avoiding him like the plague, lest he decides to take out his anger on them.

Ryou was two steps behind him to his left. A slave was not worthy enough to walk alongside their master. Mai was watching the Demon Prince and his Life-Debt slave with amusement.

It was obvious to her that Ryou had fallen for his Demon master. Bakura also seemed to get…softer when with Ryou, yet neither of them seem to notice. It was rather ironic really, considering they both were always watching each other when the other was not looking.

Mai shook her head. Never trust guys with romance. She stalked up to Bakura, grabbing Ryou's arm in the process. Ryou squeaked in surprise. Bakura whirled around and looked ready to attack whoever dared make Ryou squeak.

"Your Highness, I was hoping I could borrow your Life-Debt slave. Since you will be meeting your betrothed you will not need his assistance. I'm sure Lord Mariku will be pleased to dote on you," Mai finished with a smirk. Bakura glared, resisting the strong urge to bare his fangs at her.

"No," Bakura snarled.

"Aww, can't wittle Bakuwa go without his playmate for just a couple of hours?" Mai taunted.

"Mai, I think I should maybe stay with Master…He might need me to do some errands or-" Ryou tugged on Mai's sleeve nervously. Mai cut him off by enveloping him in a hug.

"You're just so sweet! Look at him, Bakura! He's always being so giving and self-sacrificing and here you are being all mean and selfish, not wanting to give him a break!" Mai reprimanded.

"Break? What break? No one said anything about a break," Bakura muttered angrily.

"I was going to take him out and show him around the city, maybe do a little shopping and eat out. I mean, come on! If he can put up with you twenty-four/seven without blowing his top, he deserves **some** kind of reward," Mai explained dramatically, still not releasing Ryou from the hug. Suddenly, Mai pushed him in front of her so that Bakura could look at him straight in the face.

"Don't tell me you can look at him and deny him one measly day out," Mai said in a sickly sweet voice.

Bakura's mind was trying to keep up with Mai, who was talking a mile a minute. He blinked at Ryou confusedly. He then regained composure and cast Ryou a stern look.

"Do you want to go with Mai?" he asked gruffly. Kindness was not one of his strong points.

"I would enjoy a day out, Master, but if you'd rather I stay here, I will gladly stay," Ryou answered immediately, a pink tinge barely brushing his face.

If Bakura hadn't been…well, Bakura, he would've let out a depressed sigh. He really, really, **really** did **not** want to see Mariku alone. Bakura nearly shuddered. He did not want to see Mariku, period. Since he had to, he had hoped to keep Ryou with him so he wouldn't have to suffer alone.

"Mai, if you bring him back and he's harmed or damaged in any way, I'll have you tortured to insanity then killed very slowly. Understood?" Bakura spat.

"My, my, so protective of the little Mortal! Not that I blame you, he is adorable," Mai laughed. Bakura scowled. "Fine, fine. I swear upon my dying breath that no harm shall come to him while under my care."

With that, Mai proceeded to drag Ryou out of the castle. Halfway out the doors, Ryou remembered something. He convinced Mai to let him go back to the castle for a moment.

Bakura, who had started pacing again, was startled when he nearly ran into Ryou. Ryou's pale face had a pink tinge gracing his cheeks. His head was bowed so that his snowy hair covered his eyes. Bashfully, he peered through his hair at Bakura.

"Th-thank you, Master. You are very kind. I-I appreciate it greatly," Ryou stumbled over his words.

Before Bakura could answer, Ryou made a hasty exit. For some reason, Bakura smiled. The day suddenly seemed to lose some of its gloom.

* * *

Mai watched Ryou as he pranced happily beside her. He hadn't been out of the castle since Bakura had claimed the Life-Debt and that had been a month ago or more. Mai wanted him to see the city and have some fun, but that wasn't the only reason she got him out. She had to have Ryou meet a friend of hers. Or rather, a friend of hers wanted to meet Ryou.

Mai managed to drag Ryou to a small tavern. Ryou, being his normal shy self, was very nervous. He had never been to a tavern before, not to mention this dingy little tavern. He really didn't like the way the people were looking at him either. He edged closer to Mai. Mai noticed Ryou's discomfort and glared at the staring Demons.

"What are you blessed(3) souls looking at?" she growled violently. The Demons hastily looked away. Mai was one of the toughest Demons around; she was feared and admired for it.

"Thank you, Miss Mai," Ryou said with a sweet smile. Mai winked and grinned.

"No problem, hun," she said.

She didn't ask him to drop the 'miss' for two reasons. One, Ryou seemed more comfortable saying it and two, Mortals were to always be submissive and respectful to Demons. At least in public they had to, otherwise the Mortal might be put to death. King Yami's law to keep uprisings to a minimum.

Ryou looked around and noticed someone, a Mortal someone, was sitting alone in the corner booth all the way in the back. Ryou gasped in surprise. The boy had golden-blonde hair and honey-brown eyes which reminded one strongly of a small golden retriever pup. Ryou's green eyes glazed over.

_"Heya, Ry!" the blonde-haired boy cried happily, "You'll never guess what happened! Go on! Just try and guess!"_

_Ryou smiled his trademark sweet soft smile. A mock pout formed on his lips as he couldn't figure out what excited his friend so._

_"I don't know, Joey. Tell me, please?" Ryou asked. Joey pretended to think it over._

_"I don't know…I mean, if you can't figure it out, maybe ya don't deserve to know," Joey teased. _

_Ryou sniffled, turning on one of his special persuasive abilities: The dreaded Chibi Puppy-Dog Eyes. Joey's resolve wavered. Finally, he threw his hands up in the air in defeat._

_"Agh! That's no fair, Ry!" Joey sighed, "Fine, I'll tell ya."_

_"Yay!" Ryou cried out childishly, hugging his friend around the middle. Ryou giggled at Joey's surprised expression._

_"Glad ta see you're happy. Anywho, ya know how you just got made Heir? Well, I just got promoted as your new personal body guard!" Joey grinned smugly._

_"That's great, Joey! King Yugi is a very kind person to have let us stay together. He said that becoming Heir might mean that I wouldn't see my family and friends too often," Ryou murmured._

_"I know, isn't it awesome? Gotta go and get my weapons and stuff, you wait here, I'll be right back," Joey said. Ryou nodded, still smiling happily. _

_Joey stepped away from Ryou. Suddenly, behind Joey, white feathers dusted with a golden sheen appeared. Joey smiled and waved pleasantly good-bye._

"Ryou? Ryou! Come back to me, hun," Mai said, snapping her fingers in front of Ryou's eyes. Ryou blinked and blushed once he noticed that Mai had been trying to get his attention for awhile now.

"S-sorry, Miss Mai," Ryou murmured apologetically.

"Had me scared there for a second, Ryou. Are you alright? Do you need something to drink?" Mai asked, acting like a mother hen. Ryou ducked his head shyly. He wasn't used to the attention.

"Hey, Miss Mai! Over here!" the boy in the back booth called joyfully. Ryou just noticed that they had gotten nearer to the back booth.

"Hi, Joey. It's been awhile, huh?" Mai answered with a flirty wink. Joey laughed at his friend's antics.

"Miss Mai, I don't swing that way, you know that," Joey replied.

"As if I'd be interested in you anyway," Mai sniffed, "Oh, yeah. This is Ryou. Ryou, this is my good friend Joey."

"Hello. It's nice to meet you Joey," Ryou said politely.

"Heya, Ry. You don't mind if I call ya Ry, do you?" Joey asked sheepishly. Ryou giggled.

"No, it's all right," he said.

"Cool. Mai's told me about you. How are things goin' with the Prince? I hear he's a quite the looker," Joey and Mai laughed at Ryou's now crimson face.

"I, well, I s-suppose…I-I suppose h-he is, but I'm r-really not one to judge…" Ryou stuttered.

In truth, he whole-heartedly agreed with Joey. Bakura was devilishly handsome, but not only that attracted Ryou. Bakura was rough and cold-hearted to almost everyone, but deep down, he truly cared for his people and kingdom. Ryou truly believed that Bakura was a good, kind person, even if he is the Prince of Demons.

"See? I told you! He's completely smitten by him!" Mai gushed.

"Yeah, ya did, but how does the Prince feel?" Joey inquired playfully.

"Are you kidding? He's the only person the Prince is actually **patient** with! The way he looks at him, you'd think he was the most precious treasure in both the Mortal and Demonic Realm!" Mai answered with enthusiasm. Ryou's eyes widened.

"N-no! I'm just a slave…a Prince like him…wouldn't even spare me a second glance," Ryou said a bit more dejectedly than he meant to. Joey and Mai just gave him disbelieving looks.

Ryou noted that Mai and Joey seemed to be taking this more seriously than how they acted. Almost as if what they were saying to each other had an underlying meaning.

* * *

Bakura scowled for the hundredth time that day. He was currently trying to fend off his overly affectionate fiancée. Mariku had his arm wrapped around Bakura's waist, pulling him close. Bakura's right eye had developed a twitch since Mariku's arrival.

"Mariku, if you don't remove your arm from my waist this instant, I'll be forced to maim you," Bakura managed to hiss out through clenched teeth. Mariku beamed at his promised one.

"Aw, dear, dear Bakura, so pretty when angry," Mariku replied, nuzzling against Bakura's cheek. Bakura growled, baring his fangs. Mariku backed away, pouting.

"Is Bakura unhappy with me?" he asked.

"Yes! Now get off of me!" Bakura nearly screeched. Mariku sniffled slightly, loosening his grip on Bakura.

"Bakura shouldn't be so mean to me! I was planning to be very nice to Bakura and get him many pretty, shiny things!" Mariku pouted.

At the words 'pretty' and 'shiny' one image popped into Bakura's mind. Ryou. Ryou in his arms, sleeping. The image immediately triggered a memory in Bakura.

_Bakura had been having nightmares, again. Torture, blood, fire, black skies. Running away, fear. All swirled around in his head. Fire, a burning all over. Bakura desperately cried out into the darkness, begging anyone to save him. Begging for light in the never ending darkness filled with pain and suffering._

_He felt a cool hand brush against him. The brief light touch banished the pain, brought light into his darkness, but it was leaving! 'No! Don't leave! Don't leave me, don't ever leave me' his thoughts screamed out. He reached out and grabbed whomever blessed him with the brief moment of peace._

_The little angel, the peace bringer, let itself be held. Bakura nearly cried in happiness and nuzzled the little peace bringer. He felt Peace Bringer nuzzle him, too._

_It wasn't until later, much later into the night, when the moon was high, did he realize just who he had held. Little Ryou. Such a beautiful sight he was, with the moon shining onto him, accenting his silky silver-white hair and milky skin. 'Peace Bringer' was Bakura's last sleepy thought before going into a deep, sweet slumber._

Bakura winced as he remembered how he had pushed Ryou away the next morning. Ryou had looked at him with his startled emerald eyes, clearly hurt. Bakura hadn't spared him another glance and gave him the cold shoulder for the rest of the week.

That was why he had let Ryou go out today. To ease his guilty conscience. Bakura scowled. Putting up with Mariku alone would be his punishment for hurting his littleangel like he did. Bakura choked.

"Is Bakura alright?" came the panicked voice of Mariku.

Bakura didn't answer. He went over what he had just thought, horrified. **His** **little** **angel**? Where in seven hells did that come from?

TBC

* * *

(1) Thestrals are leathery winged horses with scaly dragon-like hides. There eyes are completely white and they can only be seen by those who have seen someone die.

(2) I do not own thestrals. I used them from JK Rowling's Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

(3) "Blessed" here is like an insult. The way damn or damned would be for Mortals and Angels. I got the idea from Ryuujitsu's fic, Faust.

* * *

Jaazi: Sorry I didn't update sooner! School just started and it's being a pain! I'll still try to update my fics as often as possible though.

KK: This chapter's not that good, but we wanted to post it ASAP. Hope you liked it anyway!

Damian: Jaazi would appreciate getting reviews from her faithful readers.

DJ: Translation- Review or I'll burn you to a crisp with my flamethrower!


	7. Chats and Attacks

Jaazi: I've finally posted another chapter. Yay! I'm happy for it.

KK: We would like to thank all of our reviewers for…well, for reviewing! This goes to: **Dartz'LoyalServant**, **Hakudoshi-chan**, **Lady Samurai**, **Ryou VeRua**, **Redconvoy**, **Shadowdancer**, **Puffin**, **Taikai no za Kokoro**, **Chrissy**, **Chibikuro Rose-sama**, **T.Lei**, **Shinigami**, **Hikari-Aoi**, **SoulDreamer**, **I am a Catlover**, **DaakuKitsune**, **LunaBakura-chan**, **Kikyou-sama**, **Carmen-Nemrac**, **AnGeLoFmErCeY94**, **Punkergirl-Aira**, **Princess Pearliest**, **Inuyashaloverfan**, **Princess Nefertari**, **SapphireBlade**, **Ch3rryphr34k**, **Dodo-chan**, **Chelley Angel**, **Ladygodess**.

Damian: We would like to apologize for any confusion we may have caused because of Joey be either Angel or Mortal. It'll all be explained in this chapter.

DJ: _(right eye twitches) _Watch it, **Dodo-chan**! I've got weapons and I know how to use them!

Jaazi: _(smacks DJ) _Don't threaten the reviewers!

DJ: _(rubs head) (irritably) _What are you all staring at us for? Go read the damn fic already!

Bdbdbdbdbdbdbdb

Disclaimer: I own nothing_ (tears up) _Life's so mean!

_Previously_

_Bakura didn't answer. He went over what he had just thought, horrified. **His** **little angel?** Where in seven hells did that come from?_

Bdbdbdbdbdbdbdb

**Chapter Seven: Chats and Attacks**

Joey watched as Mai and Ryou left the tavern. As soon as they were out of sight, he slipped out of the tavern through the back. He cast a cautious glance around before running off. He never noticed a pair of narrow cerulean eyes watching him.

Joey ran until he was in the outskirts of the city. There, a pair of white feathered wings that shimmered golden sprouted from his back. With one last glance back, he took flight.

From the shadows, stepped out a tall blue-eyed brunette. Spread behind him was a pair of black leathery wings glimmering dark metallic blue. His sapphire eyes held a cold malicious gleam and on his lips was a triumphant smirk.

Bdbdbdbdbdbdbdb

King Yugi sat at his throne, humming cheery tune, swinging his legs as he waited for Joey to come back. He didn't have to wait for long. Just as he finished humming "Hush Little Baby" when a certain brown-eyed blonde burst into the room. He stood there, attempting to catch his breath. Yugi giggled slightly.

"Your…majesty," He gasped. Finally he managed to regain his breath and he straightened up, "I have just come back from the Mortal Realm."

"How's Ryou doing? He isn't in any harm or danger, is he?" Yugi asked worriedly. He didn't want his friend, and Heir, to get hurt.

"Nah, he's in perfect health. He became a Life-Debt slave to Prince Bakura. Don't worry though! According to Mai, they've been getting along great. Ryou's head over heels for him. The Prince…well, I haven't seen him myself but Mai says that Bakura adores him in his own subtle way."

"Apparently Fate wants them together. The Prince of Angels and the Prince of Demons, this will cause a lot of…complications," Yugi sighed, "But if Ryou's happy, I'm willing to solve whatever problems there may be between both Angels and Demons. I just hope their King feels the same."

"I'm not too sure about that, your majesty. From what I've heard of him, he's cruel and a downright bastard. His advisor is just as bad, too. The two of them are nothing but filthy rich bastards with a sadistic sense of humor," Joey growled angrily. Yugi's eyes widened, even more than they usually were.

"Joey! Watch your language," he scolded. Joey blushed.

"Sorry, your majesty," he said sheepishly.

"Besides," Yugi continued, "No one can be that cruel. Everyone has some amount of kindness in them. They just need someone to bring it out. You saw what Ryou did to the Demon's Heir…what does Fate have in store for us?" he murmured to himself.

Joey watched his King. Joey noticed how worried King Yugi was and it bothered him. King Yugi was so kind and gentle towards everyone. He didn't deserve to worry like this. King Yugi really cared about his Heir and having him away from his protection with no recollection of who or what he was, was worrying the King to bits. Joey was struck with a brilliant plan.

"Your majesty? May I make a suggestion?" Joey interrupted Yugi's musings.

"Go ahead, Joey."

"Well…what if I stayed in the Mortal Realm to watch over Ryou for you? I'll come back here once a week to report to you. That way you won't have to worry so much," Joey said excitedly. Yugi pondered over his idea before smiling.

"That's a great idea. But you'll have to visit me only once a month, otherwise someone might notice your absence. Unless it's an emergency then you immediately come to me," Yugi said sternly.

"Yes, sir!" Joey saluted cheerfully, "When should I leave?"

"When can you leave?" Yugi asked.

"Immediately!"

"Then what are you standing around here for? I do believe you have a mission to carry out," Yugi smiled at Joey's eagerness.

Just as Yugi finished his sentence, Joey spread his wings. He was out the doors in the blink of an eye. He couldn't wait! It had been forever since the last time he and Ryou could just spend some time together. Sure, Ryou couldn't remember him, but they became friends before, they could do it again!

Bdbdbdbdbdbdbdb

Bakura was currently trying to come up with as many ways possible that he could kill Mariku and make it look like an accident. Bakura best plan was to trip while holding something very sharp and have it 'accidentally' impale Mariku's heart. That one wasn't really going to work. He was brought out of his musings by his oh-so-dear fiancée.

"I can feed myself!" Bakura snapped. Mariku pouted.

"Yes, but Bakura is not eating. I thought perhaps he needed help," Mariku said, laying down his fork.

They were both having dinner in the dining room. It held an outrageously long table with many, many chairs. Normally, King Yami would be sitting at the head of the table, but for some reason, he was absent today. Probably to give the two 'lovebirds' some 'alone time.' Bakura snorted. Any more alone time with the psychotic freak would drive him to commit suicide…or homicide, which ever came first.

Bakura glanced at the dining room entrance for the umpteenth time that dinner. As much as he loathed to admit it, he was getting worried. His little angel should've been back by now. _"Dammit, not again! His is **not** anyone's little angel. He's not an **Angel**, period! Just some pathetic Mortal…a weak, wretched, **meaningless** Mortal."_

Just then, Mai and Ryou walked into the dining room. Bakura stood up so quickly, he nearly knocked over his chair. Mariku's glance, which had previously been glued on Bakura, drifted towards the two newcomers.

"Ryou! You're, uh…," Bakura stood speechless looking at Ryou.

Ryou giggled happily. He was acting odd. Not to mention he was dressed oddly too. Instead of his usual white long shirt and slacks, he wore a baby blue tight fitting tee that didn't quite reach the top of his jeans (the kind a girl would wear) and some tight fitting black jeans that hung lowly on his hips. This all left his belly button and some of his lower abdomen exposed. Ryou also had what seemed to be a cherry flavored lollipop which made his lips look red and wet.

"Master! I had so much fun! Miss Mai took me shopping! First, we went to the bookstore; Miss Mai got me a lot of new books to read! Then she took me to a candy shop and I got to taste all sorts of candies and chocolate! Miss Mai was even kind enough to buy me lots and lots of lollipops and chocolate!" Ryou giggled happily.

He had launched himself onto Bakura and now had him in a tight hug. Bakura was having trouble breathing for more than one reason. Firstly, Ryou's death grip on him was cutting off his oxygen supply. Secondly, the shock from having the normally sweet, timid, quiet Ryou suddenly hugging the life out of him and finally the simple fact that the scantily-clad boy that had been plaguing his thoughts (and conscience though he loathed to admit it) was suddenly on top of him.

The force of the impact had landed them both on the ground. Ryou was giggling like mad. Mai was heard snickering in the background also. A slight blush spread across the bridge of Bakura's nose as he unceremoniously shoved Ryou off of him. Angrily, he stalked up to Mai.

"What the hell did you do to him?" he nearly screeched.

"Cool it, lover-boy," Mai laughed teasingly, "It wasn't my fault. How was I supposed to know Ryou gets a sugar high out of the smallest amount of sugar?"

"What about his…his clothes! They're girl's clothes!" Bakura raged.

"Jeez, don't have a melt down. They're just some of my old clothes. I wanted to see how he'd look in them," Mai said with an eye roll.

"Don't you like it, Master? Miss Mai said you'd really like them…that's why I wore them," Ryou whispered unsurely.

Bakura growled under his breath. He hadn't meant to make him cry. Grinding his teeth and clenching his fists, he asked in an amazingly calm voice.

"You look fine but you shouldn't wear clothing you don't want to wear, no matter what Miss Mai says."

"Um…well, this outfit is a bit revealing and not entirely comfortable…and my old clothing is easier to work in," Ryou said.

"Would you like to go change? You have my permission, if you do."

Bakura muttered. Suddenly, he was on the floor again with his slave hugging him around the middle, giggling.

"Thank you, Master!"

"…Get. Off. Me."

He felt the weight lift off of him. He stood up, warily, in case he was tackled down again. He glared at Mai. His red eyes flashed menacingly.

"What the hell were you thinking? He's not just some doll you can dress up! He's not your toy! That's the last time I'm ever letting him near you again!" Bakura hissed angrily.

"Ryou likes spending time with me. And quite frankly, I like spending time with him. In case you haven't noticed, you cold-hearted bastard, you tore him away from his only friends, in more ways than one, might I add. I'm the only one he opens up to. He considers me his friend. I doubt that not even **you** could tear him away from his friends again, even with your possessive streak," Mai whispered, just as angrily.

As the two Demons argued over Ryou, Mariku was studying him quite closely. He was so pretty. His hair looked so shiny…his green eyes were shiny too. They were so big and utterly irresistible!

Ryou was too busy enjoying his cherry lollipop to notice that Mariku was approaching him with a glazed look in his eyes. Suddenly, he felt a pair of arms circle around his waist and pull him close. Ryou froze on the spot, completely shocked to do anything as he felt someone nuzzling him.

"Mm, pretty, pretty, pretty. Shiny, pretty, soft," a voice purred happily.

Mariku was so occupied nuzzling and admiring Ryou's soft, shiny hair, he didn't notice that all the cuddling was making Ryou's shirt ride up. Ryou let out a squeak of surprise as he felt the man's skin make contact with his own.

"Mm, cherry…" Mariku murmured as if in a daze, "Cherry candy is yummy."

Bakura had turned to look at Ryou when he heard him squeak. He saw Mariku slip his hands under Ryou's shirt, touching **his** Ryou's skin. Mariku then dared to kiss **his** Ryou's lips. Then, Mariku murmured something about 'yummy' and 'cherry' about **his** Ryou.

At that instant, Bakura saw red. He lost all control. How **dare** Mariku even **think** of touching **his** Ryou? Bakura's reaction was instantaneous.

Mariku was playfully enjoying the cherry flavored bits of lollipop he had manage to take out of Ryou's mouth. Ryou had eaten the lollipop and Mariku so wanted some cherry candy. The only bits of it were in Ryou's mouth so he fished them out, so to speak. Just as he was about to pull away and finish his treat in peace, he was slammed into the dinner table.

Bakura's large black bat-like wings flared behind him menacingly. His canines had lengthened and sharpened to a deadly point. His talons were sharp as blades. His eyes were the most remarkable part, though. His eyes had no whites. They were completely red with black, cat-like slits for pupils.

Mariku gulped and looked at him with terrified eyes. He had never seen Bakura this angry before. Never.

"How **dare **you? How **dare **you touch him? You have **no right** to touch him! He is **mine!**" Bakura growled ferociously. He seemed to have lost all semblance of sanity.

Upon hearing that and taking note of the odd behavior the Prince had been showing the past few days, Mai came to a revelation. A very important, possibly dangerous, revelation.

"Bless it!" Mai swore.

Ryou didn't notice Mai's astonished reaction. Ryou had his eyes on Bakura. Bakura was just about to kill, Ryou assumed, his fiancée. Ryou couldn't let that happen! Bakura would be in so much trouble, not to mention the kingdom would be thrown in chaos.

Bakura's mind was filled with a single thought: Kill the bastard who touched his Ryou. At least, that was the singular most important thing in his mind, until he felt a pair of arms wrap around his waist and felt someone bury their head into his torso. Then, the intoxicating scent of vanilla and mint that constantly permeated Ryou flooded into his mind.

"P-please, stop! D-don't hurt…don't hurt Lord Mariku!" Ryou sobbed, "R-remember your k-kingdom! His m-majesty said th-that the kingdom c-comes first, r-remember? Wh-what's best f-for the kingdom and your p-people is a-an alliance with Lord M-Mariku!" Ryou's small frame was racking with sobs.

Bakura could hear his voice, so soft, sweet, and melodic. He couldn't understand the words though. He could understand the desperation in Ryou's voice and assumed that it was Mariku's fault. Bakura growled, lunging at Mariku.

The desperation in Ryou's voice elevated. Bakura lunged at Mariku with more force, only to have Ryou's arms tighten their hold. Suddenly, Ryou said something that made him freeze.

"Bakura! Please don't!" Ryou cried out.

Bakura stopped at the sound of Ryou's voice as he said his name. That was the first time since Ryou became his Life-Debt slave that he'd said his name. It rolled off his tongue and dripped off his lips like sweet honey and sounded as refreshing as fresh mountain water.

Bakura's senses nearly hummed with pleasure at the sound. His eyelids fluttered as his eyes returned to their normal state. His talons and fangs retracted and blunted. His wings gently folded into his back, disappearing from view again. He looked down at the sobbing boy and tilted his head to the side.

"Ryou, what are you…? What's going on?" he asked, utterly confused.

"Master? What do you mean? You were going to attack Lord Mariku," Ryou sniffled.

"I was?" he asked, then muttered to himself, "Bastard probably deserved it."

"Master, you don't remember, do you?"

"… Ryou, did you say something? You know, before, you said something before and I…I don't know," Bakura muttered. He ran a hand through his spiky hair tiredly, "I'm going to my chambers, Ryou you can stay with Mai for a little longer. Oh, and Mariku?"

"Yes, Bakura?" Mariku responded cautiously.

"I want you to stay away from me the rest of the day. I'm gonna go get some sleep," Bakura said as he left, a tad bit too quickly to be normal.

Mariku pouted and also stalked off to his own chamber rooms. Ryou looked at the spots that had previously been occupied by his Master and the Lord of the western lands. Ryou then turned to Mai who was still lost in thought.

"Miss Mai…what just happened?" he murmured as he wiped his face free of tears.

"…you said your master's name…Satan bless it!" Mai said more to herself than to Ryou.

"I upset him, didn't I?" Ryou asked quietly.

He had felt as though someone had just gutted him, when he saw that Bakura was so anxious to leave him. He was shaken out of his sad reverie when Mai started to pull him to the opposite direction the other Demons had left. Mai had a determined look on her face.

"Where are we going?"

"I think I know what's going on with your beloved master. Sweetie, I hope you like books as much as you say you do, 'cause we have a long night ahead of us in the Royal Library," Mai said.

Bdbdbdbdbdbdbdb

Meanwhile, Joey was wandering around the Mortal Realm. He was all ready to help Ryou, but there was a tiny little problem. He had no idea how he was going to get to Ryou, who was currently residing in the very-well guarded castle in which also resided the stubborn and greedy King, the sadistic Prince, and the psychotic Lord.

Joey sighed. How could he have rushed to the Mortal Realm without a plan whatsoever? Joey cursed for the hundredth time his slight inability to think things through. Joey was heading toward the tavern he had been in earlier that day.

"So, the little Angel has returned? Funny, you don't seem like an Angel to me, more like a little puppy," a cold voice said from behind him.

Joey spun around. His warm, honey-colored eyes met cold ice-blue ones. Joey suppressed a shiver and glared.

"What are you talking about Demon?" he spat.

"I think you know what I'm talking about, Angel. I had my suspicions about the Prince's new slave. He had too much…innocence to be Mortal, much less Demon. The Prince of Angels enslaved by the Prince of Demons, what would my dear King do if he were to find out?" the demon smirked, his dark demon wings shimmering blue.

"What do you want?" Joey said, defeated.

"Well, now that you mention it, I have been in need of a new slave. What better slave than an Angel? Come along, pup," the Demon ordered, as a pair of cuffs magically appeared around Joey's wrists.

"You're a bastard, Kaiba!"

"Manners, pup. It's **Master** Kaiba now," Seto Kaiba, the King's royal advisor, ordered with a smirk.

TBC

Bdbdbdbdbdbdbdb

Jaazi: I'm uber sorry for the late update! I should've updated last weekend, but I didn't have the chance to!

Damian: We hope you enjoyed this chapter, though.

KK: Yes, we do, we do! REVIEW PLEASE!

DJ: Or else, Jaazi will be sad, which would make KK cry, which would make Damian moody who would take it out on me! So you all better leave a damn review!

Damian: I wouldn't do something like that.

DJ: Tch, sure you wouldn't.


	8. The Royal Library

Jaazi: Uber-much thanks to all of my faithful readers and reviewers! **Kalimoto**, **DemonicMistress Kree-kun**, **Lady Samurai**, **Ryou VeRua**, **Hakudoshi-chan**, **SapphireBlade**, **Carmen-Nemrac**, **Punkergirl-Aira**, **DaakuKitsune**, **Puffin**, **Bluemoon4Sphinx**, **Anneliese Vendal**, **Chelley Angel**, **Sabrina**, **AngelKelley17**, **Under Finger and Thumb**, **Taikai no za Kokoro**, **SuicidalImbicile**, **Mimay**, **Kikyo's Killer**, **Chibikuro Rose-sama**, **Kikyou-sama**, **Dartz'LoyalServant**, **Nuroi-Inu**, **The Chaotic Ones**, **LadyPoisonApple**, **Anei Aikouka**, **Phantom Fox**.

* * *

Disclaimer: If I owned Yugioh, Tea wouldn't exist, all the yamis would have their own bodies and there would be tendershipping-ness galore. Is that happening? Nope.

_Previously_

"_Manners, pup. It's **Master** Kaiba now," Seto Kaiba, the King's royal advisor, ordered with a smirk.

* * *

_

**Chapter Eight: The Royal Library**

Kaiba had Joey follow him back to the castle…with his Angel wings out. It was humiliating, to say the least. An Angel chained to a Demon? It was unheard of, much less seen by passersby. Joey couldn't decide whether to have his head bowed in shame or held high, proudly. Instead, Joey chose to glare holes into his new Master's back.

"You're a bastard, Kaiba," Joey growled angrily. Kaiba, in response, tugged on the chains causing Joey to stumble.

"The puppy should learn when to stop barking," Kaiba smirked cruelly. Joey's eye began to twitch. Boy, could this guy get on his nerves.

"Yeah? Then this…dragon should learn some kindness! Let me go you stupid Demon!" Joey yelled.

Kaiba's smirked widened as he pulled the chains harder. Joey stumbled again, this time only barely managing to catch himself. Joey decided that it was in his best interest to keep his mouth shut the rest of the way to the castle.

* * *

Ryou's jaw dropped open at the sight that met his disbelieving sight. The library was…it was huge! Shelves upon shelves bursting with all kinds of books big and small. The shelves themselves were decorated with carvings of all kinds of creatures. Demons and Angels, thestrals and unicorns, dragons and griffins, all carved into beautiful illustrations on the shelves.

There were thick books and thin books, books bound in leather, books with pages rimmed in silver and golden decorations on their covers. There were even plain books, journal-like books, ancient tomes and newer books. The only library that he knew that could even compete the vastness of this library was the library back home that His Majesty was kind enough to let him use.

Ryou blinked. Library at home? His Majesty? Ryou shook his head free of these thoughts. He'd mull over them later when he had the time. Right now, he needed to help Miss Mai.

Speaking of which, Mai was scouring the shelves taking out random books and throwing them to the nearby table. Some books were so high up on the shelves, she actually had to pull out her wings and fly up to get them. Soon enough, the table was filled with piles of books. The poor table looked like it was ready to collapse into itself.

Ryou rushed to the table and eagerly picked up a book. He sat down in a nearby chair and began skimming through said book. It wasn't after he skimmed a few pages that he realized something rather important.

"Miss Mai? What are we looking for?" Ryou asked, blinking cutely. Mai made her way towards Ryou, taking a seat next to him.

"We're looking for anything about splitting souls," Mai replied.

"But…what does that have to do with Master?" Ryou asked. Mai sighed, rubbing her temples tiredly. She was the closest thing Bakura had to a friend, so she was willing to help him out now and then, but really, did Bakura have to be so difficult all the time?

"Ryou, what do you know about the Demons?"

"…I hardly know anything about Demons. Malik told me that they were evil and coldhearted. He also told me that unless a Demon is intentionally killed, they can go on living, being immune to age and sickness. That's about it," Ryou replied.

"That's not even the half of it. Long ago, before our current king came to rule, there was a belief that every Demon had someone out there made just for them. According to the myth, everyone had a certain scent that distinguished them from everyone else. The only one who could detect that scent is the person's mate. After that, the Demon would attempt to convince his or her mate to stay with them.

If they succeed they live happily ever after, if they don't…well, they don't suffer or anything, but in the back of their mind, they'll always know that they didn't get the one person that was most compatible with him or her. Nowadays, most of us don't believe in that, although there are a few rare cases…anyway, has he ever mentioned anything about your scent?" Mai asked abruptly. Ryou furrowed his brows in concentration.

"Well, this one time, we were in bed together and he was…" Ryou was interrupted by Mai.

"In bed together? Doing what, may I ask?" Mai asked. If Bakura took advantage of innocent little Ryou without his consent, she'd give him hell to pay. Ryou blushed brightly.

"N-nothing! He was having a nightmare s-so I tried to wake him up. Instead he just grabbed me and held me, but he was still asleep. I don't think he noticed, but he did murmur something about vanilla…I'm probably just imagining things," Ryou said sadly.

"Don't be so sure. I honestly think you're his mate, but mates are supposed to be equal. I've noticed you have a lot of power over him, even if you haven't," Mai added.

"Wh-what? I don't have power over Master!" Ryou shook his head frantically. If that was true, he could be punished for it.

"Yes you do. Haven't you noticed that you can calm his temper with just a touch? Or that he's always so lenient towards you? He gives you everything you ask for or he would if you'd ever ask for anything. And he never wants you out of his sight! It's like he's scared to lose you!" Mai exclaimed.

"What are you saying?" Ryou asked.

"I'm saying that you have to be something more than an ordinary mate. I recall a particular legend that might give us a clue but I don't remember which book I go it from. That's our assignment so get ready for a long night, because we have a lot of books to go through," Mai chirped cheerfully.

* * *

Bakura was pacing in his chamber. Damn that Mariku, how dare he touch Ryou? Damn Mai, how dare she take Ryou away from him? Damn Yami, how dare he hit on his Ryou? Damn Malik and Serenity for having a place in Ryou's heart. How dare they have Ryou's heart and not him? Damn everyone who wouldn't damn Mariku, Yami, Malik, Mai, and Serenity!

Bakura stopped and rubbed the base of his neck. It had been throbbing for some reason. Every time Ryou touched him, it would heat up in a pleasant manner. That made up for the times when it would burn intensely at the sight of Ryou being close to someone other than himself.

Bakura ran a hand through his spiky hair, hoping to cause some breeze to go on his neck. On the base of his neck was a black and crimson mark. A crimson dagger piercing a blackened heart. It was glowing faintly.

* * *

Mai glanced at Ryou who was once again itching the base of his neck. Mai sighed. She'd have to get him some ointment for that. It was probably an allergic reaction to something.

"Ha! I found it!" she cried out, startling Ryou into dropping his book. Hastily he picked it up and set it on the table.

"What'd you find, Miss Mai?" Ryou asked timidly.

"The legendary Bringer of Death," Mai said with a triumphant smirk.

"Bringer of D-death?" Ryou questioned nervously. Mai's attitude became somber. Bringing the book closer, she began to read from it.

"It is said that when the Creator first made the world, he created three different races to inhabit it: the Demons, the Angels, and the Mortals. At first, everyone lived in harmony with each other. That was before an elite group of Demons thought that they were the superior race, therefore should be able to rule all.

Mortals have their stories of the Grim Reaper, the scary guy in a cloak with a scythe, right? That story is based on the leader of that elite group. He was terrible, emotionless, and loved bloodshed more than anything. No one knew his name and so he became dubbed as the Bringer of Death.

He massacred hundreds. Men, woman, children alike were killed for his pleasure. He burned down entire villages relishing the screams for help and mercy. His soul was said to be made of pure Darkness. He gave all Demons a bad name.

Angels, who had befriended Mortals, fought against the Bringer of Death. He welcomed the challenge and claimed that the blood of an Angel would be much sweeter to taste than that of Mortals. Angels fought against the Bringer of Death and his elite few with all they had. The Angels succeeded in depleting the number of followers the Bringer of Death had, but they could destroy the Bringer.

Apparently, he became stronger with every life he took, every droplet of blood he drank made him more invincible. It wasn't until later that everyone learned that the Bringer wanted to challenge the Creator himself and gain control over everything and everyone.

The Creator beat him to the punch, though. Before Bringer could gather more power, the Creator approached him. The Bringer laughed at the Creator saying that he was too frail and could never defeat him. The Creator gazed at his creation with pity and hugged him close.

The Bringer screamed. He screamed, and screamed, and screamed. The creation of pure darkness being held by the Creator, a being of light, caused him a lot of pain. He writhed in agony and attempted to escape until he was too weak to do anything. It was then that the Creator let him go.

The Bringer was too powerful to kill. The Creator realized this and opted for placing a form of restraint on him. Others would call this restraint a curse. Placing palm on the weakened Bringer's head. Doing so, he stated that all his creations had a source of light in them, no matter how obscure.

He said that he would split the Bringer's soul in two, one made of complete darkness, the other having the small diminished light that the Bringer thought he had destroyed. The Creator said that the Bringer placed this curse upon himself. He would live his life and every one of his future lives with only half a soul. They wouldn't meet until the other half was fully purified. The purified half soul would have power over the other half.

The Creator then split the soul in two causing the Bringer immense pain. The Creator then marked the split souls. At the base of each of their necks he left a symbol. On the tainted soul was a crimson dagger piercing a obsidian-black heart and the on the purer soul was a white heart with a golden dagger piercing it.

These symbols are no bigger than a thumb print. These symbols also serve as detectors. They'll warm when they're near and they help sense the other's emotions and so on," Mai closed the book and turned to Ryou.

"Ryou, pull up your hair," she asked suddenly.

"Um, okay," Ryou replied. Obediently, he lifted his hair. Mai's suspicions were determined at the sight of a small blemish at the base of Ryou's neck.

A white heart pierced with a golden dagger. Mai pressed a finger on it without hesitation. Mai and Ryou both let out a yelp as they jumped away from each other, Mai nursing a burnt finger and Ryou rubbing his irritated neck.

On the other side of the castle, Bakura hissed as he felt a burning sensation near his neck.

"Well, this certainly is a twist," Mai muttered crossly.

TBC

* * *

Jaazi: That was rather confusing to write. I hope everyone understood it. If you didn't, feel free to tell me and I'll try to clear it up for you.

DJ: _(sadistic smirk) _I liked Bringer. He's awesome, mwahahahahaha!

Damian: _(eye roll)_ That doesn't surprise me. I wish I had a library like that one though.

Jaazi: _(sigh) _Me too.

KK: Leave a REVIEW PLEASE! It makes us happy!


	9. Shocks and Nightmares

Jaazi: Finally, the ninth chapter is up! Wow, I wanted to type this up and post it sooner but I was very busy…and stuff. Neh, well, it's here now, I guess.

DJ: Lazy brat…

Jaazi: Oh, you're one to talk!

KK: We would like to thank all of our reviewers! **Kalimoto**, **Kikyo's Killer**, **Ryou VeRua**, **Under Finger and Thumb**, **Puffin**, **Pikpik246**, **Phantom Fox**, **Hakudoshi-chan**, **Carmen-Nemrac**, **Chibikuro Rose-sama**, **Redchibipuff**, **Shortstory-Writer**, **Super Sugarzoom**, **FearedAndForgotten**, **VampireHelsing**, **Kikyou-sama**, **LunaBakura-chan**, **Chelley Angel**, **Death by Storm**, **Bob the Almighty**, **Handmaiden of Foamy**, **Princess Nefertari**, **AngelKelley17**, **Mimay**, **Dartz'LoyalServant**, **Eddie Striker**, **Ying Jagansama**, **Yami Mikki**, **Demonluvr**.

Damian: Your reviews help us continue this story. Thank you all very much.

* * *

Disclaimer: Saying I owned Yugioh is like saying Yugi is a psychotic mass murderer. It's just not true.

_Previously_

_On the other side of the castle, Bakura hissed as he felt a burning sensation near his neck._

_"Well, this certainly is a twist," Mai muttered crossly.

* * *

_

**Chapter Nine: Shocks and Nightmares**

"Miss Mai, that hurt. What did you do? Are you alright?" Ryou whimpered softly. Mai nursed her finger before responding.

"You honestly don't know, do you?" she asked incredulously.

"Know…?"

"You've got the mark of the pure half of the Bringer's soul! The legend is true, this is amazing!" Mai said in awe.

"That can't be true! That would mean Master….Master is kind! He would never have done any of those things the legend mentioned!" Ryou protested much more forcefully than Mai thought was possible. Mai pinned him under a stern and serious gaze.

"Ryou, listen to me," she said placing her hands on the boy's shoulders, "The Bakura you know now is very different from the Prince of Demons this entire kingdom knows."

"W-what do you mean? Master has never done anything remotely similar to what the Bringer did," Ryou's voice faltered slightly.

"Not recently at least. Ryou, long before you came along, he was…brutal. Granted, he wasn't as bad as the Bringer but still…He would have people executed for his entertainment. Rumor has it, that when he was a child, he murdered his entire village in a fit of rage. People say that's why Yami chose him as his successor, because of his bloodthirsty temper and strength." Mai said in cautious whisper.

"If he was so savage, how could he have changed?" Ryou asked, still not convinced of the accusations Mai made of his Master.

"It happened a short while before you arrived here at the castle. I don't know _what_ happened but whatever. He just suddenly started spending more and more time in his room than out. You see, Bakura has always been very restless. He was always wandering the streets, just looking for an excuse to kill someone. It all just suddenly stopped, though. I was worried, but every time I asked him about it he would just snap at me. Now that I think of it, every time I saw him in his room he was sitting at the window, staring out into the sky. Have you caught him doing that?"

"No, he never does that."

"Odd…bless it! Look at the time! Bakura's going to kill me! You have to go back to him before he starts to think I've kidnapped you!" Mai exclaimed suddenly.

"Too late," a deep voice growled. Mai and Ryou whirled around.

Bakura stood in front of them looking very irritated. His eyes were considerably more red than usual. Thankfully, though, the whites of his eyes were still visible which most likely meant he still maintained some level of sanity and self restraint. Mai rolled her eyes and smirked.

"Poor 'Kura, missed his little pet already?" she taunted with a wink. She was suddenly pinned against a bookcase with a pair of Demonic hands wrapped around her throat.

"You _touched_ him! You _hurt_ him! _Why?_" Bakura growled deeply, his eyes sparking angrily. Mai gagged and clawed at the hands that choked her.

"Let…go…bastard. R-Ryou's…fine…it was…accidental," Mai choked.

"I don't believe you. You burned him, I _know_ you did," Bakura snapped.

"Master! I'm fine, she didn't mean to hurt me! Honest, it was an accident. Let her go, please Master," Ryou panicked. Bakura let her go at Ryou's words.

"How did you hurt him?" Bakura snarled, clenching his fists.

"How the hell would you know if I had hurt him or not?" Mai snapped as she rubbed her chafed neck.

Bakura blinked. How did he know that Ryou had felt pain in the first place? Forget that, why exactly did he care if his slave got hurt? A worthless, meaningless, unimportant slave…

"You are not to touch him. Ever. Again," Bakura seethed.

Turning, he grabbed Ryou by the arm and all but dragged him away. Mai was left alone in the library, glaring at where Bakura had stood only moments before. She stalked out of the library angrily, fully intending to give Bakura a piece of her mind.

After walking through a few hallways, she stopped, shocked beyond all reason by what she saw. Kaiba, _the_ Seto Kaiba, walking calmly and superiorly towards his wing of the castle, closely followed by none other than Joey. Joey, who had his hands in shackles with his golden-white wings out and bound by special cords of shadowy Demonic magic.

"Kaiba? What in hell's name are you thinking? How could you bring an Angel here of all places?" Mai shrieked. Kaiba smirked.

"I managed to convince the King to let me keep him. He's my slave now. Isn't it satisfying to see a despicable Angel serving a Demon, as it should to be?" Kaiba replied, smirk widening. Joey looked away from Mai, ashamed, and glared at his new Master again.

"I'll find a way to escape, Demon! You can't keep me with you forever! And who the hell are you calling despicable? The only despicable creature here is you!" Joey raged.

Kaiba's eyes narrowed. He pulled the chains binding Joey hard enough to send him sprawling on the floor.

"Unfortunately, the pup has to be trained to not bark at its master. I'll have him broken in soon," Kaiba said disdainfully before leaving, dragging the struggling Joey behind.

Mai leaned against the stone wall. This was not good. How were they supposed to feed King Yugi information now?

* * *

Bakura's footsteps echoed as they climbed the stairway to the Prince's chambers. His grip on Ryou's arm had loosened but only enough so that Ryou could be comfortable. He kicked the doors open with a loud slamming sound. He paused when he saw a servant girl waiting for him.

"What do you want, wench?" Bakura snarled, eyes narrowing. The girl trembled under the Prince's glare.

"Your Highness, His Majesty wishes for you to take Lord Mariku out for a tour of the nearby kingdom tomorrow," the girl squeaked before bowing and fleeing the scene.

"Bless him! I hope he gets enslaved to an Angel and be tortured for centuries on end," Bakura spat.

Ryou stood there beside him, not entirely sure what he was expected to do. He had upset his Master…again. Not only that, but Miss Mai had just told him that his Master was one of the most feared Demons around and that he was his supposed 'mate and tamer'. Ryou couldn't understand. How could he, an unworthy slave, be of any importance to anyone?

"Does it still hurt?" Bakura asked abruptly, startling Ryou out of his thoughts.

"It's just a bit sore. It's nothing to worry about, Master," Ryou said softly. He couldn't stop the wince when he prodded the raw spot on the base of his neck. Bakura took two strides towards Ryou, considerably lessening the gap between the two of them. He grasped Ryou's chin in his hand, making Ryou meet his eyes.

"Liar. A terrible one at that. At least try to make it believable next time," Bakura muttered equally soft. Ryou noticed that Bakura's eyes had gone unfocussed and hazy when they made contact.

The hand that gripped his chin moved to caress his cheek and slowly trailed down his slender neck. Ryou's voice stuck in his throat. His Master was so…gentle. All thoughts of the Bringer and his cruelty fled his mind as another hand made it's way up his spine. As soon as Bakura's fingertips brushed against the base of Ryou's neck they both let out a shuddering gasp.

Bakura's touch immediately cooled the irritated blemish that had been bothering Ryou. The cooling sensation spread throughout his entire body before an undeniable need to get closer to Bakura overcame him. Bakura was also overcome by the same need. Part of him screamed _'Closer, closer! No more emptiness, no more darkness. Closer!'_

As suddenly as it happened, it stopped when Bakura stumbled back, breaking contact. He shook his head to clear his mind. _'Note to self: Do NOT touch slave's neck. Ever.'_

"Um, I'm sorry, Master!" Ryou apologized in a panicky voice, "I shouldn't have worried you, and, and I should stay with you instead of Mai, and I'm very, very ashamed that I failed you, and I'm sorry."

"Shut up. We need to get some rest, what with the tour with Mariku tomorrow," Bakura growled out his fiancée's name with obvious disdain. Ryou nodded.

"Yes Master," Ryou complied.

He helped Bakura undress, folding the old clothing, and setting it aside so that the laundry servants could find them easily. Bakura changed quickly to save them both some discomfort. Ryou was about to slip into his cot when Bakura stopped him.

"I…," Bakura looked away, "Stay with me. I mean…," Bakura scowled and ran a frustrated hand through his spiky hair, "That cot, it doesn't look comfortable and the bed's big enough for the both of us."

Ryou could've been imagining it, but he thought he saw a pink tint stain Bakura's face. It was adorable. Ryou smiled sweetly.

"You are very kind, Master, thank you," Ryou chirped.

Bakura flinched slightly and scooted away as Ryou slipped into bed with him. Ryou fell into a peaceful. Bakura, on the other hand, didn't. As always, Bakura was being plagued by nightmares.

_Images of blood, fire, and darkness flashed before him. Screams, the roar of fire and clanging of swords filled his ears. The smell of death, soot, and bloodshed permeated everything. A cold so intense it burned surrounded him. Shadows clung to his unprotected body, tearing and clawing at him, freezing his heart and numbing his mind with pain. Malicious laughter echoed across the endless sea of torture in a voice he recognized as his own._

_"Stop! Stop screaming! Shut up!" he yelled and blindly struck out at one of the numerous screams. It was silenced, but there were still so many other screams. He struck again and again, the darkness around him didn't lessen, but the screams did. Finally, it was silent, cold and painful, but silent. The darkness lifted._

_A bloodied blade in one hand and bloodied talons on the other were the first two things he noticed. His pitch black wings were spread behind him. He supposed he must be a frightening sight to see, the way he was right now. Bakura looked up and saw for the first time what he had fought against. _

_Before him was a wide expanse with charred and smoking mounds that had once been houses. The entire place was covered with severed corpses of men, women, and children._

_At least…it was silent now._

Bakura awoke with a start. He was covered in cold sweat and trembling from head to toe. He raised a pair of trembling hands to see that they were free of blood. He checked his body and it was free from injury. The smoke and smell of death was nowhere to be found and it wasn't so cold anymore. For some reason, this didn't comfort him.

He felt dirty and soiled and didn't understand why. Before, when he had these dreams, for that was what they used to be, he awoke with an insane, if slightly hysterical laugh. He wanted the dreams to become reality. He _wanted_ to be the one making the dreams reality, but not anymore. The dreams had become nightmares. Now, he felt shame and guilt and a desire to be forgiven, although he knew he didn't deserve it. He hadn't even done what the dreams, no, nightmares had told him to do, but the fact that he _wanted_ to was bad enough.

_'You are what you dream. A monster of darkness to bring misery upon all.'_

Bakura flinched. He was a Demon, he was _supposed_ to be this way.

_'That's not true. There are plenty of Demons who are far more kindly and merciful than you. Take Mai, for instance. When was the last time she caused pain even if she could prevent it?'_

"Never," Bakura murmured. He clutched his head, trying to ignore his thoughts.

_'Even the King, as greedy a bastard as he is, tries to conquer his lands through as least pain and torment as possible. The Advisor, he might manipulate people to get his way, but he would never start a massacre just to have a massacre.'_

Bakura hid his face in his hands.

_'Mariku might solve things through killing, but not before he's tried every other way to solve the problem first. None of them have a conscience but even **they** don't cause unnecessary torment.'_

"Quiet," Bakura whispered hoarsely, "Stop talking to me. Just stop it."

_'You're not Demon, nor Mortal, much less an Angel. You're a monster, go do what monster's do best.'_

Bakura was about to let out a scream of frustration when he felt the bed shift slightly. Bakura glanced to his side. Ryou was there with him. He had completely forgotten. His little Ryou, his angel, was sleeping peacefully beside him with no fear or hate.

With no fear or hate.

Bakura pulled his sleeping angel to him. He held him close, wanting to cry in relief. Instead he buried his face into Ryou's hair and breathed in his scent. Cooling mint and vanilla to wash away the smoke and blood. Warm skin to erase the burning cold. Soft white hair to get rid of the razor-sharp darkness. Bakura sighed, his arms tightening their hold as they wrapped around the boy, holding him in a possessive embrace.

The voice stopped. This slave-boy could make the voice stop…Bakura wasn't letting go, not now or ever. This boy didn't treat him as a monster. He wasn't letting him go, ever.

TBC

* * *

Jaazi: This took me forever to type! Stupid writer's block. This chapter was kinda weird…well, I hope you enjoyed it anyways XD

DJ: It was depressing.

Jaazi: Yeah, I know.

KK: We promise that the next chapter will be more humorous than angst-y. Next chapter: Bakura and his angel take Mariku out to tour the kingdom! They're going to bump into some old friends. Yay!

Damian: Please leave a review before you go. It makes the authoress very happy.


	10. Tour of the Kingdom

Jaazi: Chapter Ten is up and running! _(sniffles) _Got a cold though…so my brain's not really working with me too well.

DJ: _(eye roll)_ But she's too stubborn to lay back and get some much needed rest. _(mimics in whiny tone)_ 'But I need to update some stories' or 'Let me type just one more page'…

KK: Anyway, much thankies to our reviewers! **Kikyo's Killer**, **Puffin**, **Phantom Fox**, **Chelley Angel**, **Taikai ni za Kokoro**, **Reesescupprincess**, **Hakudoshi-chan**, **HikaruNoJingoku**, **Kalimoto**, **Sirithiliel**, **Vampirehelsing**, **LunaBakura-chan**, **Demonluvr**, **Dodo-chan**, **Baada**, **Ria**, **Princess Nefertari**, **None**, **Ying Jagansama**, **Cat Paws**, **Chibikuro Rose-sama**, **Super-sugarzoom**, **Ryou's Twin Sister**, **Noroi-Inu**, **Princess Kathleen**, **Underground Ninja**, **Ch3rryphr34k**, **Carmen-Nemrac**, **The Chaotic Ones**, **Hono Ookami**, **Sapphire Blade**, **Amethystcrystal231**, **Chi-chan Lurks**, **AngelKelley17**, **xxOne Winged Thiefxx**, **Bakura'sLoyalServant**, **Handmaiden of Foamy**, **Dreaming of Everything**.

Damian: Now, go on and enjoy the new chapter.

* * *

Disclaimer: If I owned Yugioh, well, let's just say that it wouldn't be fit for children…

_Previously_

_The voice stopped. This slave-boy could make the voice stop…Bakura wasn't letting go, not now or ever. This boy didn't treat him as a monster. He wasn't letting him go, ever.

* * *

_

**Chapter Ten: Tour of the Kingdom**

Bakura's mind woke up before his body did. Bakura was currently debating whether he wanted to open his eyes and get the day started or stay in his warmer-than-usual bed and sleep the day away. He opted for the second option as he buried his nose into something soft and silky. He let out a sigh of happiness at the scent of vanilla and mint.

Vanilla and mint?

Bakura's eyes snapped open. In an almost fearful manner, he let his crimson-tinted eyes trail to what he previously thought was a captive pillow in his arms. His nose was buried in milk-white silky strands of hair while his arms were wrapped around a small, lithe body.

Just then, said body shifted slightly. A moan of contentment slipped passed rosy lips and fluttering eyelids with long thick lashes revealed sleep-clouded jade eyes. Bakura felt his entire body tense when the aforementioned hazy eyes landed on Bakura. Bakura became uncomfortably aware of his possessive grip on the boy.

_"What now, genius?"_ his mind provided sarcastically. He noticed that Ryou's pale face developed a rosy tint.

"Um, g-good morning, Master…" Ryou stuttered embarrassedly. Bakura felt his own face heat up. Where the hell did his uncaring composure run off to? Since when could a Mortal slave do something like this to the Prince of Demons?

"…we should get up," Bakura said gruffly, attempting to regain whatever composure he had left, "The tour's today, and…yeah, the tour with Mariku is going to take awhile."

A hesitant smile formed on Ryou's lips. He was afraid his Master would've been upset like last time. He really didn't think he could stand it if his Master stopped speaking to him again. Just the thought of it filled him with sadness.

"Okay, Master," Ryou chirped, except he didn't move.

It's not that he didn't want to. Okay, no, he didn't really want to move but there was another reason why he didn't. Bakura watched curiously as Ryou's light pink face turned to a darker shade of pink.

"Erm, Master?" Ryou started timidly.

"Hm?" Bakura replied in a slightly dazed tone. His eyes were busy taking in the image of perfection that is Ryou.

_"What!"_ Bakura's mind screamed at him once he ran over what he had thought a couple times.

"Y-Your arms…I-I can't move. Could you l-let go?" Ryou whispered shyly. Bakura all but leapt off of bed, his face heating up uncomfortably.

_"What in the name of all that is unholy is wrong with me! I'm acting like some Demon-child! No, worse! A Demon-child courting it's mate!'_ Bakura's mind shrieked. Bakura took in several deep breaths, attempting to calm himself.

Ryou watched curiously as his Master was trying to compose himself. Master was acting very odd…Ryou hoped he wasn't ill. Ryou's eye widened with worry.

"Master? Are you feeling well?" Ryou asked, concern lacing his melodic voice. Bakura resisted the urge to purr at the sound. He scowled at himself. A courting Demon-child indeed!

"Yes, I'm fine. Hurry up and get ready, I've got to go meet someone," Bakura said gruffly, thankfully managing to keep himself from stuttering. He changed into some of his usual dark clothing and nearly fled the room. Ryou was left behind to blink confusedly at the doors that had been slammed shut.

* * *

Bakura stormed into a rather large room. It had some bookshelves, a desk, paper, writing utensils, and several other research-y type things that Bakura hated and avoided with a passion. A Demon with cold navy eyes looked up from his paper and paused in his writing.

"Kaiba, what did you do to me?" Bakura snapped. Kaiba gazed at him calmly.

"I'm afraid I don't understand what you are asking," Kaiba said smugly. Bakura scowled.

"You're the only one strong enough to cast a spell on me and you know it. I demand to know what you did!" Bakura ordered.

"Hey, I didn't know you were a sorcerer," another voice spoke up. Bakura's glare was turned to the one who interrupted and was momentarily speechless.

"…why is there an Angel in your study?" Bakura managed to grate out.

"That is none of your concern. And, yes, pup, I am a sorcerer. How else would I have been able to put those Shadow binds on you? Now, Bakura, would you care to tell me exactly why you are here?" Kaiba replied. The blonde Angel let out a growl.

"I am here so that you can undo whatever you did to me!" Bakura replied angrily.

"What makes you think I did something to you?" Kaiba asked smoothly.

"Because! There's no other reason why I'd be feeling any sort of attraction to anyone, much less my Ryou!" Bakura yelled. At Kaiba's smirk, Bakura felt his jaw drop. He did **_not_ **just say what he thought he said to **_Kaiba_ **of all people!

"An attraction to your slave, you say? Isn't he a Mortal? My, my, how the mighty have fallen," Kaiba chuckled darkly. The Angel reacted quite differently at Bakura's outburst, though.

"What did you do to Ryou?" the Angel demanded, "If you hurt him, I swear I'll-" the Angel cut himself off.

"What do you care?" Bakura snarled, "How do you know my slave, anyway?"

The Angel stubbornly refused to answer. Bakura rolled his eyes, the Angel was of no importance to him anyhow. He turned to the smugly smirking Kaiba.

"Not a word to anyone of this. In fact, it never happened, got it? Otherwise I'll have you executed in the slowest, most painful way imaginable," Bakura threatened before storming out of the room. There were a few minutes of silence.

"Is he always so…" the Angel started.

"Neurotic? Yes, he is. Stop speaking to us like you're our equal. Remember, here you are nothing but a lowly Angel and you must show the proper respect to your superiors," Kaiba snapped.

"Which are whom? Demons, bah, you guys are heartless monsters, you don't deserve any respect!" Joey spat back.

He flinched when he felt the Shadow bonds around him tighten with just a glance from Kaiba. Kaiba stood from his desk and walked over to one of his many bookcases. Skimming through it, he started picking out certain volumes.

"Now, what is wrong with our beloved Heir of Demons?" Kaiba murmured to himself as he started a long day of research. Who knows, the sorcerer might find some useful leverage against the Heir.

* * *

Ryou sat in a random chair in the great hall. He idly swung his legs back and forth, humming slight tune. He was dressed in his normal white clothing except it was a bit fancier. One of the servant girls who had helped dress him explained that this clothing would mark him as the Heir's personal slave, therefore not to be touched or harmed in any way.

His shirt was made of white silk. It had long sleeves that hung loosely around his shoulders, barely concealing them. The flowing sleeves covered his palms slightly, the cuffs hung about four inches from his wrist. The thin silk shirt was wrapped around him in a manner that clung to the boy's small frame but was not too tight to be constricting. The neckline, cuffs, and hem of the silk shirt was lined in silver.

The boy was wearing a pair of silver-white pants that ended neatly at his mid-calf. It had short two inch slits on each side. The hems were lined with a darker shade of silver that matched his dark silver slippers that fit on his dainty feet. The servant girl had teasingly commented on Ryou's feminine looks. The servant girl had also woven silver ribbons into his white hair.

Ryou was startled out of his musings when he heard someone enter the great hall. He glanced up hopefully, expecting to see his Master. He was met by the sight of Lord Mariku. Ryou got off the chair and quickly kneeled before the Lord.

"Hello, mini-Kura," Mariku said cheerfully, "Where is my Baku?"

Ryou ducked his head, giving him a nervous bow, before replying, "Hello, m'Lord. M-Master should be arriving soon, h-he had some business to attend to."

Mariku pouted and he sat down in the seat Ryou had been sitting on before, leaving Ryou to sit on the floor beside him. Ryou fidgeted anxiously, hoping his Master would arrive soon as he had said he would. Ryou fiddled with the collar around his neck that he was apparently required to wear. It actually had a tag on it with his Master's name on it.

Ryou's prayers were answered when Bakura stepped into the hall, scowling in a flustered manner. Bakura's scowl deepened when he saw Mariku's ecstatic expression. But when he saw Ryou…he felt his jaw go slack at Ryou's shy smile. And he stared…and stared some more. He probably would've kept staring if it hadn't been for Mariku's sudden hug/tackle.

"Baku! I missed you so much. His Majesty says that you're going to show me our future kingdom! Pretty-Baku, I'm so excited, let's go now. We get to spend the whole day together!" Mariku exclaimed gleefully. Bakura growled and attempted to pry the psychotic blonde of off him. Both were too preoccupied to notice Ryou's saddened expression.

"Marik, get off me this instant," Bakura snarled and shoved Mariku away. He stormed off, Ryou following a step behind as a proper slave should, while Mariku attached himself once again on his arm.

Outside, Bakura's carriage was waiting. Bakura clambered into the carriage simultaneously detaching himself from his persistent husband-to-be. Bakura sighed in relief when Ryou settled at his side. He relished the warmth that he felt where there shoulders brushed together.

Mariku pouted. Why should the slave be able to sit next to his Baku? Mariku's pout soon turned into a smile when he pulled a surprised Ryou away and took his place. Ryou settled for sitting on the seat facing Mariku. Bakura's eyes narrowed angrily but he remained silent.

"Around the kingdom," Bakura barked at the driver. With a snap of the reigns, they were soon off.

* * *

Three hours later, Bakura was ready to take a knife to the throat and end his misery. The only reason he didn't was because that would mean leaving Ryou alone with Mariku and his wandering hands. Bakura nearly let out a loud growl at the thought. **_Nobody_** could touch Ryou but him or they suffer the consequences.

Unfortunately for his jealousy, Mariku and Ryou were getting along rather well. Mariku chattered on about nothing while Ryou giggled and smiled at the appropriate places. Mariku even went so far as to **_touch_** Ryou's hair! And Ryou seemed to enjoy it, too! His eyes would close somewhat and Bakura could've sworn he heard the boy purr. Bakura's fists were clenched so tightly his knuckles were white.

"And there's the royal bakery and over there is the tailor," Bakura said through clenched teeth, motioning to a couple building to the left. Mariku looked out the window to get a better look.

"Very nice, Baku. Our land is very wealthy, isn't it? We will make sure it prospers even more than it is now," Mariku cooed. Bakura's eyebrow spasmed as he nodded stiffly. Motioning to the right he continued.

"There's the Fountain of Tears. Legend has it that it was created by the tears of Angel and completely indestructible. It was made to give Mortals hope that they would one day be freed from us and harmony will reign again amongst the three of us. Apparently, it's supposed to prove that no matter how destructive we are, we cannot break the purity or strength of an Angel. Bah," Bakura muttered disdainfully.

Ryou stared in awe at the fountain. The fountain was made of crystal varying from shades of pure white to metallic blue to silver-gray. The fountain had an Angel of pure white crystal. It's wings were spread out to their fullest. At the Angel's side was a Demon made of silver-gray crystal, and its wings were also spread. Between them stood a mortal of metallic pale blue crystal. All three had water pouring from their eyes that trailed down their bodies and pooling at their feet.

"I see it has caught little min-Baku's attention," Mariku said wryly.

"What, does the Mortal expect to be freed from me by an Angel?" Bakura sneered, his bad mood getting the better of him. Mariku laughed at the suggestion and for once Bakura gave him a smirk instead of a scowl.

"Forget it, boy. Angels are despicable creatures who hide in their clouds all day," Bakura spat, "Besides, it'd take more than an army of Angels to take what's mine."

Ryou felt himself blush with shame. His eyes were downcast and he hunched over slightly so that his hair could hide his face. Bakura felt a sharp pang of remorse but refused to take back his words. Ryou, on the other hand, was wondering why his Master's comments about Angels were affecting him so much.

A sudden purr distracted them both from their thoughts. They each turned to Mariku. Mariku seemed to be in a state of pure bliss. His half-lidded eyes were hazy and his lips formed a dreamy smile.

"Um, m'Lord? Are you alright?" Ryou asked timidly. Bakura poked Mariku roughly in an attempt to get him out of his daze.

"Marik, if you die on me, I'll never hear the end of it from Yami," Bakura said harshly.

"Do…do you smell that?" Mariku purred. Bakura and Ryou glanced at each other curiously. Bakura took a good whiff of air and stared at Mariku oddly.

"No," Bakura replied shortly.

"Mmm," Mariku said blissfully.

"Well, what's it smell like?" Ryou asked Mariku patiently.

"Cinnamon…yummy, luscious, spicy cinnamon and…lovely, tasty, smooth chocolate," Mariku hummed happily.

"We just passed the bakery, you idiot, of course you'd smell those things," Bakura muttered darkly.

"Master, wouldn't we be able to smell it, too?" Ryou pointed out. Bakura just shrugged irritably. Mariku suddenly snapped out of his daze.

"Turn here!" he demanded the driver.

The driver obeyed more out of surprise than anything else. The turn was sharp, which sent the three of them sprawled against the side of the carriage. Bakura managed to catch Ryou so that his landing wasn't as rough as his own. Mariku sniffed the air a few more times.

"Stop here," Mariku commanded excitedly.

Again, the driver obeyed. The second the driver stopped, Mariku bolted out of the carriage. Bakura followed a tad more slowly, helping Ryou out of the carriage as he did so, though he didn't notice the faint blush that appeared on Ryou's face when he did.

"Master, where is m'Lord going?" Ryou asked in a hushed tone.

"Following his nose, apparently," Bakura replied, watching Mariku walk about, his cape flaring behind him dramatically.

Finally, Mariku stopped in front of a very familiar building. Ryou's jade eyes widened when he realized just where they were. Bakura also recognized the building and smirked slightly at the memory of it. Someone angrily stomped out of the building.

"What's all the noise about?" the person demanded. He had silky pale blonde hair and lavender eyes lined with dark thick lashes. He froze when he saw Ryou.

"R-Ryou?" he choked out. Ryou beamed but stayed in his place beside his Master.

Mariku approached the newcomer quickly. With a extravagant swish of his black cape, he gave a low bow and took the person's tanned-skin hand. His eyes gleamed with eagerness. He placed a kiss on his fingertips.

"Hello, I am Mariku, Lord of the Western Lands. Would you please be kind enough to grace me with your name, lovely one?" Mariku asked in the most civilized and elegant manner that any have ever heard from him. The person, however, wasn't impressed. He waved him off and approached Ryou.

"Are you okay? Have you been treated well? His Highness hasn't tried hurting you, has he?" the newcomer demanded. He was suddenly two inches away from Ryou his hands grasping his shoulders tightly. A growl was the only warning before the blonde was shoved five feet away from Ryou.

"Keep your hands off my slave, Malik," Bakura spat. He was caught by surprise when he found himself suddenly shoved also. By Mariku…who was glaring quite fiercely at him, too.

"Don't touch…Malik," Mariku said the name in such a delightful tone, Bakura was beginning to suspect that Mariku was taking some sort of drug. Mariku turned to Malik and enthusiastically helped him back to his feet.

"Are you hurt, Malik-lovely? Do you need help?" Mariku cooed. Malik batted him away.

"Stay away from me, you Demon. I don't care if you are the Lord of whatever lands, you have no right to touch me! I demand to be allowed to speak with Ryou this instant!" Malik shouted angrily. Bakura narrowed his eyes at Malik while Mariku threw Ryou a very jealous look. Ryou looked at Bakura pleadingly. Bakura was learning that Ryou's pretty jade eyes could make him do anything.

"Do you want to go talk to him or what?" he asked gruffly.

"Would you l-let me? I wouldn't want to disobey you or any-" Ryou stumbled excitedly over his words before Bakura cut him off.

"Just, go an get it over with," Bakura snapped, dragging Mariku away by his cape. Ryou couldn't help himself, he gave Bakura a grateful hug without thinking before running towards Malik. Bakura stiffened in shock and watched Ryou run to Malik.

"Malik, I've missed you so much!" Ryou all but squealed, hugging him tightly. Malik returned the hug with delight.

"You're well?" he asked.

"Oh, yes. Master is very kind to me. He lets me go out with Miss Mai. She bought me some books and candy. Master even let me share his bed!" Ryou replied happily. Malik's eyes widened and he choked. He let go of Ryou and stalked up to Bakura who was trying to keep Mariku in line. Bakura watched Malik confusedly until Malik landed a punch on his face.

"Malik!" Ryou said in shock.

"You perverted bastard!" Malik shrieked, "How dare you bed Ryou? You disgusting piece of slime! You thought yourself worthy of having Ryou in that way?" he ranted, continuously hitting him with his fists.

"What the hell? You psychotic freak! What are you talking about?" Bakura shouted back, trying to shield himself from Malik's furious fists. Malik would've continued if Ryou hadn't suddenly thrown himself in between them, shielding Bakura from Malik. Bakura looked at Ryou.

"What did you tell him?" he asked in quavering voice, trying to withhold his temper.

"I-I just…I told him that you treated me well and that Miss Mai treats me well, and that you were kind enough to share your bed with me," Ryou replied innocently. Bakura felt his face starting to heat up again at the implications of the 'share your bed' Ryou had stated oh-so-innocently.

"You scum!" Malik snarled and tried to lunge at Bakura again, but a pair of strong bronzed arms encircled him from behind.

"Let me go! I'm gonna kill him!" Malik raged.

"No you are not," Bakura snapped, "I haven't lain with the boy!"

_'Not for lack of wanting,'_ a little voice in the back of Bakura's mind whispered impishly. Bakura shut that little voice out as quickly as possible. He did not like what it had started to suggest or, to put it more accurately, he did not like the fact that he did not dislike what it had suggested.

"Why are you hitting Master?" Ryou asked, his eyes saddening, "He hasn't harmed me."

"You said he shared his bed with you," Malik replied hesitantly. Ryou blinked.

"Yes. He said that my cot didn't look too comfortable and that his bed was big enough for both of us. Master is very kind. My cot was cold and rough, his bed was comfy," Ryou chirped. Malik blushed slightly and coughed into his hand.

"Ah, well, I thought you meant something else…" he trailed off.

"What else could I have meant?" Ryou asked curiously.

"Nothing," Bakura replied quickly, "He was just confused, ignore him…Marik, what are you doing?"

Malik had completely forgotten about the arms that had restrained him. Now, though, he was uncomfortably aware of the muscular, deliciously tanned arms that pulled him flush against a firmly built chest. He also became highly away of someone sniffing his hair and nuzzling him. Malik stiffened.

"…spicy yummy…chocolate, cinnamon, tasty-tasty," the man murmured.

"You freak! Unhand me, pervert!" Malik protested, squirming in Mariku's arms. Mariku chuckled and cuddled him even more eagerly.

"You're soft, too. Nice voice, so pretty too. You smell delicious," Mariku hummed happily. Ryou giggled.

"I think m'Lord likes you, Malik," he said shyly. Malik blushed and his struggle increased tenfold. None of them noticed the envious glances Bakura was sending the two tanned blondes or the longing ones he sent a certain white-haired slave.

TBC

* * *

Jaazi: Whew _(coughs) _that took forever. Feeling slightly better, for those who care. All I'm left with is a slightly scratchy throat. Hope you liked the update.

Damian: Yes, she worked on it when she should've been resting _(reprimanding glare)_

Jaazi: _(sheepish) _Sorry?

KK: I bet some reviews would make Jaazi feel much better!

DJ: For any nimrods out there, that means REVIEW NOW! _(gets smacked by Jaazi)_

Jaazi: Be nice. _(cough)_


	11. Heaven Sent

Jaazi: I'd like to thank all of my reviewers! You all make me all happy inside! **Punkergirl-Aira**, **Kikyo's Killer**, **Sirithiliel**, **RedConvoy**, **xEgyptianBlackRosex**, **Hono Ookami**, **Kalimoto**, **Reesescupprincess**, **The Chaotic Ones**, **Katy**, **Shortstory-Writer**, **Phantom Fox**, **Carmen-Nemrac**, **Dodo-chan**, **T.Lei**, **SapphireBlade**, **Super-sugarzoom**, **LunaBakura-chan**, **Baada**, **HikaruNoJingoku**, **Hakudoshi-chan**, **Celestra**, **Bakura'sLoyalServant**, **Pink-kiss-candy**, **Kat-Tochi**, **Ying Jagansama**, **Corvin**, **Shadows Nightmare**, **AngelKelley17**, **Dreaming of Everything**, **Princess Nefertari**, **VampireHelsing**, **Elemental Moon Ninja**, **Handmaiden of Foamy**, **Shadow of a Shadow**, **Ryou VeRua**.

KK: Well, go on and read the chappie already!

* * *

Disclaimer: Saying I own Yugioh is like saying Mariku believes in free will. Not true.

_Previously_

_None of them noticed the envious glances Bakura was sending the two tanned blondes or the longing ones he sent a certain white-haired slave.

* * *

_

**Chapter Eleven: Heaven Sent**

"I don't care if he does like me! He's a filthy, dirty Demon and I want him off me now!" Malik screeched indignantly. Mariku pouted.

"Doesn't Malik-lovely like Mariku?" Mariku asked in a melancholy tone.

"No I don't! I don't, I don't, I don't!" Malik replied squirming in Mariku's grasp. Mariku let go, reluctantly, before plopping down, sitting cross-legged in the middle of the street.

"But whyyyyy?" Mariku whined.

"Marik, pick yourself off the ground this instant! You're a Demon Lord! Demon Lords do not sit in the middle of the street at the feet of a Mortal!" Bakura growled, attempting to lift Mariku up by the arm. Mariku yanked his arm from Bakura's grip and sulked for all he was worth.

"Malik, can't you be at least a little bit nice to m'Lord Mariku? He really isn't bad. He just is…overly friendly. He really seems to like you," Ryou pleaded with Malik. Malik scowled and looked away.

"So? He's still a Demon. It's the fault of _his _kind that there are so many orphans I have to look after in the poorhouse," Malik retorted. Ryou scowled at the response.

"Yes, it's the fault of _his_ kind. _His_ kind, not him personally. Malik, you're not this judgmental when it comes to anyone else. Can't you give m'lord a chance?" Ryou asked. Malik glanced from Ryou's pleading gaze to Mariku's pleading gaze. He was starting to feel guilt tug at his heartstrings. He was about to give in when Bakura pointed out a rather unpleasant fact.

"If you like him that much, you can order him to be yours," Bakura said exasperatedly, "So stop making a fool of yourself and just take him home already."

Mariku mulled this over. Bakura did have a point. If the Mortal refused to be his, he was automatically executed. Considering how stubborn the Mortal was, though, he might prefer to be executed than become Mariku's. Mariku wasn't sure he wanted to take that chance.

"But I want Malik-lovely to come because he _wants_ to come, not because he _has_ to," Mariku protested sullenly.

Malik blinked. The Demon _cared_ about his opinion? That was something new; most Demons took what they wanted without thinking about others. Maybe he wasn't that bad…

"I can't leave the poorhouse," Malik murmured, "so even if I did want to go with Mariku, I can't."

Bakura stared at the three of them with annoyance. Since when was Marik compassionate? Malik seemed to be very confused. First, he didn't want to be with Marik and now it looked as if he did want to be with him. Then Ryou was all sad because both Marik and Malik were depressed. If Ryou was sad, then Bakura was irritable. Bakura did not like being irritable, it gave him headaches. Bakura sighed in aggravation.

"Is there anyone here that you would trust enough to let them take charge?" Bakura asked. Malik looked at him suspiciously.

"…Yes. Why?" Malik replied hesitantly. Bakura thought it over before responding.

"Here's the deal. You let this 'trusted person' take over your poorhouse and come to the castle with Lord Marik. In return, I'll have one of my most trusted and _compassionate_," Bakura spat the word as if it was poison, "Demons to check up on it every week and report its condition back to Lord Marik who will then report it to you," Bakura finished, pinching the bridge of his nose in irritation.

"Ha, as if Demons are compassionate! Besides, even if I did agree, why can't that Demon report to me?" Malik argued. Bakura's eyes narrowed.

"You really expect to have a Demon report to a _Mortal_?" Bakura spat, "The day that happens is the day the Angels take over this realm and the Demonic realm!"

Malik seethed. His hair was fluffed up and he let out an angry hiss. Mariku cooed; his cute little Malik-lovely looked like an angry kitten! He was going to squeal and give his Malik-lovely a hug, but Malik-lovely wouldn't want that.

He narrowed his red-violet eyes at a certain green eyed someone who had started comforting _his_ Malik-lovely by whispering soothing words and gentle caresses. Bakura also narrowed his eyes, only he was glaring at the one who was being comforted by _his _green-eyed someone. Bakura growled.

"I can't have a Demon reporting to a Mortal. That would cause unnecessary problems. Instead, I'll make sure Lord Marik provides financial services for the poorhouse. I'm sure he won't mind," Bakura hissed.

Mariku looked at Malik and nodded enthusiastically. Malik mulled over the situation. If he went with the Demon Lord, his poorhouse could be improved immensely with the new income and he wouldn't be too bad off either. If he didn't, he'd be executed and his poorhouse would be in the sinkhole.

_"And,"_ a little voice in the back of his head added_, "that Lord looks very…delicious. Look at that delectably tanned skin and those scrumptious muscles that ripple oh so beautifully--"_ Malik shut out that voice with haste. His eyes were wide with disbelief.

"Malik, are you alright?" Ryou asked worriedly. Malik gulped and nodded numbly.

"Um, y-yeah, I'm f-fine," Malik stammered. Ryou gave him a doubtful grin.

"Good, I guess. Does that mean you get to stay at the castle like me?" Ryou asked excitedly. Malik looked at Ryou's expectant expression and heard Mariku's hopeful whimper.

"Fine. I'll go," Malik said, defeated. Ryou squealed and hugged him before being yanked away by Mariku who then proceeded to hug him.

"Now that that's settled, let's go. I've got a migraine and I want to go home," Bakura growled, catching Ryou's attention. Ryou looked at his master and gasped. He rushed over to him and prodded the side of his face gently. Bakura flinched at the sudden pain that shot through his face.

"Oh, no! Master, you're injured. I f-forgot, oh my, we should get some ice and, and…oh, Malik! Why'd you hurt him so badly? He even has a cut on his scar!" Ryou said in a panic.

Bakura's face flushed as Ryou's warm breath caressed his face with every word. The fact that Ryou was worried about him made his heart beat erratically. He resisted the urge to squirm at Ryou's touch.

"L-let's just go back to the castle," Bakura ground out before walking stiffly back to the carriage (also known as fleeing from his own slave).

Ryou followed him, fretting over his master's injuries and his sudden bad mood. Mariku, on the other hand, followed Malik into the poorhouse. He watched as Malik packed up a few things and bade farewell to a girl with long red-brown hair and a boy with long raven-black hair. Malik quickly explained the situation to a tall, tanned skin man with passive gold eyes, whom he later found out was named Rishid. Afterwards, he followed Malik back into the carriage like a good, loyal puppy.

* * *

Yugi, King of the Angels, was looking into his enchanted mirror. Joey hadn't reported to him in quite awhile and it was leaving him quite concerned. Leaning closer to the mirror, he whispered at it.

"Show me Joey," he stated clearly.

The silver mirror's began to ripple, each ring becoming bigger before finally settling on an image. He saw a room…a rather expensively decorated room. Yugi felt his stomach sink. Joey must be in the Demon King's castle.

In the room stood three figures. A tall male brunette with cold blue eyes and shimmering blue black Demon wings stood before a sturdy desk. The other was sitting behind the desk; he was a Demon, as was obvious because of his shimmering crimson black wings.

Yugi's eyes caught a flash of gold dusted white. It was Joey! Only, he was captured? Shadow binds were wrapped around Joey's feathered wings preventing him from even stretching them. Shadow shackles were wrapped around each ankle and wrist and although there didn't seem to be any chains connecting him to anything in particular, Yugi had the distinct impression that Joey was now property of the blue eyed Demon.

Yugi's eyes welled with compassion. He'd have to…Yugi let out a sigh. He really didn't want to send anyone after him. Not because he didn't care for Joey, no, no, no. It was because the tension between Demons and Angels was thick enough already, if he sent anyone to retrieve his Angel it could give the Demons reason to launch an attack against the Angels. That was something the King of Angels didn't want to do…he'd prefer to settle it peacefully.

The Demon sitting behind the desk caught King Yugi's curiosity. They were remarkably similar. Both seemed to be…vertically challenged, although Yugi could tell that the Demon was taller than him. They both had their oddly tri-colored hair. Yugi was most intrigued by the Demon's eyes, however. They were the color of blood, but unlike blood, they were sharp and cold. They were the eyes of a person who has lost all reason to have emotions and relies purely on cruel logic. This was made clear by the distant calculating look they held upon the blue-eyed Demon.

His train of thought was interrupted by a knock on his study's door. Yugi waved a hand at the mirror and the image vanished. He made sure he was seated and looked as regal as possible.

"Come in," he said cheerfully. In stepped a blonde, violet-eyed Demon.

"Hello, King Yugi. Long time no see, huh?" Mai said cheerfully. Yugi smiled.

"Too true. I assume you are here because of Joey's capture?" Yugi asked. Mai nodded in affirmative.

"Yes, but I've got other news also. My Prince has some dark history that you need to be aware of," Mai started.

"Dark history? Mai, is it dark enough to put my Prince in any danger? And what of the other Demon? The one who captured Joey?" Yugi asked worriedly.

"You needn't worry about Kaiba. I believe Joey will do him some good and even though Kaiba can be rather rough, I'm sure Joey can hold his own against him," Mai assured. Mai paused.

"Your Prince's dark history, if you please?" Yugi urged. Mai frowned restlessly.

"You know about the legend of the Bringer of Death," Mai paused again.

"Yes, I'm aware of the legend. A soul split in two and marked by a dagger and heart," Yugi murmured.

"I think that our Princes are the two souls of the Bringer. They are both marked. Not only that, but I believe they are mates. Bakura is showing symptoms of being both and Ryou is oblivious to everything. I'm sure he still hasn't recovered any of his memories either," Mai finished.

"Thank you for the report, Mai. I entrust the lives of those two Angels to you," Yugi said solemnly.

"It's an honor," Mai said with a slight bow. With that done, she swiftly exited the room, leaving King Yugi to ponder over his newly acquired information.

* * *

Malik scowled. It was late at night and he was stuck tossing and turning on his cot. It was very uncomfortable. He was offered a spot in Mariku's bed, by Mariku himself, but there was no way he was going to accept. Stupid pride.

Finally, Malik got up. Cautiously, he crept over to the bed where the Demon Lord was sleeping, although not peacefully. As imperceptibly as he could Malik slipped into the Demon Lord's bed. He made sure to stay on the opposite side of the bed from Mariku.

Of course, since Mariku was tossing and turning as much as Malik was, Malik didn't stay apart from Mariku for too long. Before he knew it, he was pulled into an embrace that left no room between their two bodies. Malik froze when he heard the Demon Lord let out a content sigh.

Malik heard a soft, steady beating that was slowly lulling into a state of contentment. He vaguely realized that it was a heartbeat.

_"Huh, Demon's have hearts? Who'd have thought…"_ was Malik's last thought before drifting into a restful slumber.

* * *

Ryou was experiencing something rather similar in his Master's bedchamber. He too was flush against his Master. Ryou spent his time watching his Master sleep.

His deep and even breaths gave him a sense of relaxation. It wasn't often his Master was this at peace and it comforted Ryou to know that it was possible. Ryou sighed and snuggled close to his Master.

After treating his wounds, he realized how human-like his Master was. He had soft skin and he felt pain, two things he didn't think his Master had. He wanted to stay with his Master just so that he could discover new things about him.

TBC

* * *

Jaazi: Wow, third update this week…or is it fourth? Whatever, I hope you all enjoyed it!

DJ: So shut her up and REVIEW ALREADY!


	12. Fun and Pain Go Hand in Hand

Jaazi: Much thanks to all of my beloved reviewers! **Celestra**, **One-Winged Thief**, **Kalimoto**, **ShiTiger**, **Chi-chan Lurks**, **E. Moon Ninja**, **Phantom Fox**, **Chaotic Ones**, **SapphireBlade**, **Dodo-chan**, **Shadow of a Shadow**, **Kikyo's Killer**, **Ch3rryph34k**, **Pork Steak**, **Chelley Angel**, **Egyptianblackrose**, **Carmen-Nemrac**, **Hieizzz**, **Hono-Ookami**, **Princess Nefertari**, **Under Finger and Thumb**, **Punkergirl-Aira**, **LunaBakura-chan**, **Hakudoshi-chan**, **Vampirehelsing**, **Baada**, **Psychotic-Tendencies**, **Servant Indo**, **BlackNine**, **BakurasLoyalServant**, **Handmaiden of Foamy**, **Ryou VeRua**.

KK: Read and enjoy!

* * *

Disclaimer: If I owned Yugioh, there'd be less card games and more fluffy tendershippy moments.

_Previously_

_He had soft skin and he felt pain, two things he didn't think his Master had. He wanted to stay with his Master just so that he could discover new things about him.

* * *

_

**Chapter Twelve: Fun and Pain Go Hand in Hand**

_He couldn't breathe. The air was thick with the sickening scent of death. He retched dryly, covering his mouth as his stomach tried rid itself of contents it didn't have. His eyes widened as he retracted a wet hand from his mouth. He looked down at both of his shaky hands. Blood…his hands were drenched with blood, innocent blood. _

_He ran as fast as he could to the nearest river. His wavy reflection showed a bloodied, frenzied face. Blood that was not his left hideous marks over all of him. He felt dirty, so, so dirty._

_He plunged his hands into the icy water. He scrubbed his hands franticly. The blood wouldn't leave. He grabbed some pebbles and grass and scrubbed his hands raw. He heard a dry sob. Was it his own? Doesn't matter, just get rid of the blood. Dirty, dirty, why won't the blood leave? Go away, go away, go away! _

"Ryou! Ryou, wake up! Sweetheart, rise and shine," Mai's worried voice penetrated his terror-filled slumber.

Ryou awoke with a shaky gasp. He was trembling violently from head to toe. Ryou quickly looked at his hands and saw with relief that they were free of blood.

"Ryou, are you okay? What're you doing in the library anyway? And asleep, no less," Mai said, going into her 'mother-hen' mode. Ryou blinked rapidly to get rid of the moisture building up in his eyes.

"I-I'm fine…just had a nightmare, nothing to worry about, Miss Mai," Ryou said, giving the Demon a shaky smile. Mai frowned dubiously.

"If you're sure…well, whatever. His Princely-ness needs to see you," Mai said.

"Is Malik trying to run away again?" Ryou sighed, glad for distraction from the aftereffects of the nightmare.

Ever since Malik came to join them in the castle, he'd been giving Lord Mariku a run for his money. Whenever he could Malik would attempt an escape--and Mariku would of course chase after him. Half the time Ryou believed that Malik and Mariku went through this routine for fun than to actually escape. Normally this wouldn't be a problem, but Mariku insisted on dragging Bakura into the game which in turn would drag Ryou into it.

"Yeah, but this game has lasted longer. It's been over an hour and a half already and they still haven't caught Malik. Well, have fun Ryou!" Mai said cheerfully before sauntering off to do something or other.

Ryou smiled as he exited the library. Bakura had somehow found out that Ryou enjoyed reading immensely. At first his master was surprised that Mortals could read (which greatly offended Malik who said that just because they were Mortals, it didn't mean they were neanderthals) but after getting over the shock he had awkwardly offered Ryou a 'library day'. That is to say, that Ryou could have a day to himself at least once every two weeks to visit the royal library and read to his heart's content.

Ryou giggled happily. He cared for his master very much and he was glad that his master could trust him enough to let him visit the royal library. From what he had gathered, most slaves weren't trusted enough to go around without some sort of demonic collar yet he and Malik had never once been told to wear one.

Ryou turned to the left corridor that led to the west wing of the castle--Mariku's wing. Ryou found it odd that this castle had glass windows because of all the books he had read about castles, most of them didn't have glass windows at all. This castle, although commanded by Demons, was so filled with art that even it's stained-glass windows depicted wonderful pictures.

Malik liked to wander the corridors just to admire these windows and Ryou was sure he would find him here. Ryou sat on the sill of the nearest window and waited. Before too long, Ryou heard harsh breathing and muffled spiteful giggles.

"Finally lost them! Now, I'm on the fifth floor of this forsaken castle, Mariku's chambers are nearby and I'm _positive_ there's an escape hatch somewhere," Malik muttered frantically, turning the corner that led to the corridor where Ryou was waiting.

Ryou slipped off of the sill and stood quietly in the middle of the corridor with a gentle smile on his lips. Malik's eyes widened at the sudden obstacle and quickly skidded to halt in front of Ryou.

"Jeez, Ryou! Are you trying to give me a heart attack? I could've literally run over you!" Malik cried. Ryou giggled and placed a finger to his lips.

"You shouldn't be so loud. Someone might hear you," Ryou said mischievously as they heard approaching footsteps.

"Shit! Ryou let me through!" Malik said desperately.

"Marik! I think I heard him!" Bakura's voice rang out followed by a delighted cry from Mariku. Malik made a strangled sound and shot Ryou a pleading glance. Ryou shrugged playfully.

"Sorry, Master's orders," Ryou smiled. Malik pouted.

"Malik-pretty! Don't run away!" Mariku cried as halted in front of Malik.

Bakura leaned tiredly against the stone wall as he watched the other master-and-slave pair. Malik squeaked and scurried behind Ryou, grasping his shoulders. Bakura growled softly. Malik was using Ryou as a human shield!

"But Maaalik!" Mariku whined while he tried to hurry around Ryou. Ryou yelped as Mariku collided with him.

"Master! Save me!" Ryou pleaded. Bakura rolled his eyes in annoyance. He stormed over to Malik and tore him out of Malik's grasp. Ryou emitted a gleeful squeak and hid behind Bakura. Bakura's senses hummed happily before Bakura realized it and told them to shut up. Malik, however, felt rather let down.

"Et tu, Ryou?" Malik asked, giving Ryou his best kicked-puppy look. Ryou responded with the teary-guilty-toddler look. Ryou mouthed an 'I'm sorry!' To which Malik promptly replied by very maturely poking his tongue out.

"Ah! I know where you can't run away from me!" Mariku cried suddenly. Malik yelped and was about to run off again when Mariku tackled him out the window.

"Marik you psycho!" Bakura's surprised yell drowned out Ryou's frightened gasp as the glass shattered. A piercing scream as well as less than sane laughter was heard.

Ryou rushed towards the windowsill and watched with fear as Mariku and Malik plummeted together to the ground. Suddenly, a pair of black-violet wings sprang forth from Mariku's back and the two of the shot up towards the sky. Ryou's jaw dropped open.

"…wow," Ryou whispered in awe. Bakura snorted as he walked closer to Ryou.

"That's nothing to 'wow' about! All Demons have wings, you know," Bakura muttered moodily.

"Yes, I know. I think your wings were bigger and darker; I like them. They made you look very impressive," Ryou said quietly. Bakura's ego inflated vastly by little Ryou's comment.

"What's it like to fly?" Ryou asked. Bakura blinked.

"I've never really thought about it," Bakura replied hesitantly.

"C-could you think about it now?" Ryou asked timidly. Bakura smirked.

"I'll do you one better. I'll take you flying tomorrow night. I like flying at night as opposed to day, it's more relaxing, I suppose," Bakura shrugged. Ryou gave him a hopeful smile.

"Really? Would you really take me flying? Like _flying_ flying?" Ryou asked excitedly.

"Is there any other kind of flying? Besides, it's been awhile since I've stretched out my wings," Bakura said nonchalantly. He leaned on the windowsill and winced slightly.

"Oh! Master you're bleeding!" Ryou cried, grabbing Bakura's hand gently. Bakura felt his insides squirm at Ryou's touch.

"It's n-nothing," Bakura protested, trying to pull his hand away. Ryou tugged it back.

"No, Master! We have to take the glass out. Um, let's…um, would m'Lord Mariku mind if we go to his chambers?" Ryou asked.

"Even if he did, he couldn't do a thing about it. I'm the Prince, remember? This whole castle's going to be mine anyway," Bakura said.

"Okay, then let's go to his chambers. I'll get some warm water and a washcloth and we might need some tweezers to get rid of the glass. Oh, I hope we won't need any stitches, but I should probably get a needle and thread just in case," Ryou murmured hurriedly.

"You pretty well informed in this, aren't you?" Bakura asked as they entered Mariku's room. Ryou smiled appreciatively as Bakura sat down on the bed.

"Well, yes. I was hoping to become a healer so I had to learn how to heal people without magic in case of any emergencies," Ryou answered absentmindedly, grabbing a bowl and washcloth from the bathroom attached to the room. He paused in his work and adorned a puzzled expression.

"Healer? Magic?" Bakura asked, "Where'd all this come from? Mortals don't have magic!"

"Um," Ryou stuttered, placing a hand on his head confusedly, "I-I'm not sure…I don't remember…I think I've been reading too much," Ryou laughed nervously, kneeling down before Bakura and placing all the supplies he had gotten in front of him. He tenderly took Bakura's injured hand into his own.

"Yeah, I think you have," Bakura muttered suspiciously. Ryou poised the tweezers over Bakura's captive hand.

"I sanitized the tweezers, so don't worry about any germs or anything," Ryou said softly, "Now, this might hurt a bit, but please try not to move too much and I'll try to make it as painless as possible, okay?"

"Please, I can handle pain. I'm the Demon Prince, a little scratch isn't going--Owch!" Bakura yelped, attempting to pull his hand away from Ryou's tweezers.

"Hold still," Ryou ordered softly. Bakura winced but complied anyway.

After a few minutes (and a few involuntary whimpers from Bakura) Ryou had successfully removed all the glass shards. He wet the washcloth in the bowl of warm water and wrung it out. Ryou began to wipe Bakura's injured palm free of blood and dirt. Bakura let out a low hiss. Ryou winced.

"Sorry, I'm trying to make it hurt less," Ryou said meekly.

"I'm sure you are. Our healer, thank all that's demonic that she's away, would've made this entire thing thoroughly agonizing. ," Bakura chuckled wryly.

"That's not a very nice thing to do to a patient," Ryou said with a frown. Bakura smiled and used his good hand to tug one of Ryou's bangs gently.

"Well, I'm not usually a nice patient," Bakura said with a grin. Ryou blushed and looked away.

"I-I thought you were doing rather well," Ryou answered embarrassedly.

"Of course I'm doing well, I've got an excellent healer tending me," Bakura gave Ryou a devilish smirk. Ryou's blush darkened. His master was being so…so…Ryou wasn't sure how to describe it, but his master's behavior was making him feel shy and giddy at the same time.

"I think I'm going to have to sew this wound shut, unless you'd like me to find someone with magic to heal you?" Ryou asked, mentally smacking himself. He should've done that in the first place instead of putting his master through such pain!

"No, I don't trust anyone here to heal me properly. With my luck they'd manage to slip something poisonous into my bloodstream," Bakura snorted. Ryou's brows furrowed.

"If you don't mind me saying, Master, the way you speak of others makes it seem that they don't hold you in high esteem," Ryou said tentatively.

"That's because they don't," Bakura replied with a shrug. Ryou was surprised by how unaffected Bakura seemed by that.

"Oh…," Ryou whispered as he finished sanitizing and threading the needle.

The next few moments were left in companionable silence as Ryou tried to find a comfortable position for both him and Bakura. After all, sewing together a gash was going to be unpleasant, why make it harder than it already was? Unfortunately, no matter where Ryou sat and pulled Bakura's hand, he couldn't find a position that neither of them would have to suffer awkwardness. Finally, Ryou came up with an idea but was rather hesitant to put it into action.

"MayIsitonyourlap?" Ryou said in a rush. Bakura blinked.

"Try saying that again but slower," Bakura replied. Ryou blushed an amazing shade of crimson.

"May I sit on your lap?" Ryou asked quietly, looking at everything but Bakura, "It's just that…er, that way I can stitch your hand without having to twist it in an odd angle and, um," Ryou explained hurriedly. Bakura shifted uncomfortably for a moment before replying.

"You may as long as you promise not to take too long," Bakura answered uneasily.

Ryou nodded and settled himself of Bakura's lap, taking care of not jostling his master's injured hand too much. Bakura in return wrapped an arm around Ryou's slim waist on the pretext of stabilizing Ryou which would result in Ryou (hopefully) finishing faster. Then again, although Bakura hadn't admitted it to himself yet (because denial was such a wonderful thing to wallow in), he rather enjoyed holding Ryou close.

And then Ryou began to sew the wound together without the slightest whimper of pain from Bakura. It could be because of how Ryou's delicate fingers worked swiftly and gently. It could also have been because Bakura became lost in Ryou's intoxicating scent of mint and vanilla.

* * *

Malik let out an ear-shattering scream as glass burst out around him. He was plummeting to his doom with a psychotic Demon. And the psychotic Demon was laughing while he plummeted to his doom. If he weren't clutching to the Demon for his dear life, he'd be using his hands to pummel the Demon. Malik quickly wrapped his legs around Mariku's waist and tightened his grip on Mariku's black shirt.

"We're gonna die, we're gonna die, we're gonna die!" Malik screeched over and over. Mariku laughed louder as a pair of large leathery black-violet wings exploded from his back.

"Silly Malik-pretty! Mariku would never let anything harm you," Mariku chuckled. In the back of Malik's mind, he barely registered that the comment would've been unbearably sweet if it weren't for the fact that he had nearly died a moment ago.

"You psychotic freak of a Demon! What the hell were you thinking? I want to be on solid ground this instant!" Malik shrieked clasping the Demon closer and burying his face in Mariku's neck. Mariku vaguely heard Malik mutter 'don't look down, don't look down.' Mariku frowned.

"Is Malik-pretty frightened?" Mariku asked with concern.

"You're damn right I am! I hate heights! Get me down!" Malik yelled in panic, shivering violently. Mariku's frown deepened.

"There's no need to be anxious. I'm here, I won't let any harm come to you," Mariku whispered in Malik's ear. Malik's shivers ceased out of pure shock.

"Y-You're lying," Malik stammered. Malik felt Mariku's arms around him tauten.

"Mariku wouldn't lie to Malik-pretty; if Malik-pretty ever got hurt…Malik, please trust me," Mariku pleaded. Malik went numb with shock and fear, still not daring to remove his face from where it was hidden in Mariku's neck.

"Y-You won't let me f-fall?" Malik asked and received an affirmative nod from the Demon, "O-okay, I'll t-trust you," Malik answered hoarsely. Mariku felt his heart flutter.

"Thank you," he murmured and beat his wings to gain altitude.

"What are you doing? Are we going higher?" Malik squeaked.

"Yes, but look, look Malik-pretty!" Mariku cried exuberantly. Malik let out an involuntary whimper of fear before turning his head to see what Mariku was going on about. A gasp escaped from his lips.

"It's like you can almost touch the sun," Mariku murmured blissfully, "Have you ever touched a cloud before?"

"No but I've always wanted to," Malik whispered in awe.

The sky was a brilliant shade of light blue speckled by a few fluffy clouds. The sun shaded the tops of the clouds a golden color while the bottoms were pure white. Malik took a deep breath of the amazingly clean air that surrounded them.

"Today's your lucky day then! When Mariku learned how to fly this high, Mariku got a jar and caught a cloud! It was a present for Baku-Baku but Baku-Baku couldn't see the cloud and laughed when I gave it to him. Mariku has a new jar and if Malik-pretty wants, we could catch a new cloud together," Mariku explained as they floated gently towards a cloud.

"Maybe if you have a cloud, you won't be scared of heights anymore," Mariku said as he unclasped on arm from Malik's waist and pulled a jar out of nowhere.

"I think, I think I would like to catch a cloud with you very much," Malik replied. Later, once Malik realized how he was acting towards the Demon, he would blame it on altitude sickness--even if he didn't suffer the necessary symptoms.

"Okay, now just wrap an arm around my neck and keep your legs around my waist. Don't worry, I'm still holding on to you so take your other arm and take the cap off the jar," Mariku said encouragingly. Malik noticed that Mariku was much more lucid now than he was before. Cautiously, Malik did as he was told. Oddly enough, Malik felt so much safer knowing that Mariku was there with him.

"See? We caught a cloud," Mariku said happily as the two of them closed the jar.

"I'm glad. Clouds are nice but can we go back to our rooms now?" Malik asked, holding back a yawn. All the screaming and fright had tired him out.

"Ask and you shall receive, Malik-pretty," Mariku snuggled Malik much to Malik's embarrassment.

"Thank-yo--MASTER MARIKUUUU! STOP!" " Malik screeched as Mariku suddenly went into a steep dive.

"Malik-pretty, trust me," Mariku replied simply. Malik's scream subsided to barely a whimper. Mariku grinned gleefully.

* * *

"Almost done, Master," Ryou said suddenly, breaking Bakura out of his trance.

"Oh, okay," Bakura replied. Ryou extracted the needle and cut the tough thread.

"Did I do alright?" Ryou asked Bakura, inspecting the wound. Bakura glanced at the gash on his palm to find that it was neatly stitched. Bakura tried to clench his hand and winced.

"You did a great job. It's still a bit sore though," Bakura said. Ryou giggled.

"Do you want me to kiss it better?" Ryou asked childishly. Bakura glanced at him, startled.

"What?" Bakura asked in surprised. Ryou giggled some more.

"Sorry, it's just when I was younger, Isis, my caretaker, she used to do this trick. Whenever I got a paper cut or something she would ask me if I wanted her to kiss it better. I always said yes and she would kiss my cut and use her magic to make it better. I really thought that the kiss actually healed me," Ryou said with glee. His brow furrowed suddenly.

"Isis?" Bakura asked skeptically. Ryou ran a hand through his silky white hair.

"Um, I guess so, I'm not really sure where that came from, I don't know," Ryou said with such a panicked confusion, Bakura had to use his good hand to steady Ryou's hand, which had been brushing through his hair rather violently.

"Alright, don't fret. I believe you," Bakura said reassuringly, he smiled, "If it makes you feel better you can kiss my wound better."

Ryou laughed softly, "The kiss is supposed to make the injured person better, not the healer."

Ryou leaned over and gently brushed his lips over Bakura's stitches. Ryou did this quickly, squirming embarrassedly in Bakura's lap. Bakura felt his face heat up uncomfortably as his grip on Ryou's waist tightened. There was a minute of awkward silence.

"Aww, look Malik-pretty! Baku and mini-Baku are canoodling! Mariku wants to canoodle, too! Mariku and Malik-pretty should canoodle!" Mariku cried eagerly as he entered through the window and folding back his wings. Malik scowled at the comment as a blush spread across his tanned cheeks.

"We are not canoodling, idiot!" Bakura spat angrily.

"But then why are Baku's and mini-Baku's faces all red? And why is mini-Baku in Baku's lap?" Mariku asked with a pout. Malik's eyes narrowed.

"Yeah, why is Ryou on your lap, your Highness?" Malik asked suspiciously.

"Master was injured! I was tending to his wound," Ryou said quickly.

"Why are you two in Mariku's chambers?" Mariku asked.

"For no reason, we're leaving anyway!" Bakura snarled defensively, dragging Ryou out of the bedroom with him. Ryou barely managed to say good-bye when the doors were slammed shut.

"That was weird," Mariku said. Malik snorted.

"Yeah, you would know," he said. Malik quickly entered the bathroom and started to get the water warm for a bath. All that flying left him feeling grimy.

Mariku was left to figure out what Malik meant by that statement.

* * *

Seto Kaiba was in his study writing notes he had gathered from several different tomes. His Angel was off sulking in the corner after yet another argument, which he of course won. The last thing Kaiba expected was the king to barge into his study.

"Yes, your Majesty?" Kaiba inquired with strained politeness. Yami's crimson eyes flashed as he pulled up a chair.

"Get rid of the Angel first, Advisor," Yami ordered. Kaiba rolled his eyes.

"Mutt, go bury a bone or something of the like," Kaiba said calmly. Joey growled angrily but decided it was better to do as his owner commanded for now. He exited with a huff.

"Kaiba, when was the last time my Heir was let out for a blood frenzy?" Yami asked urgently once the Angel slammed the doors closed. Kaiba met his angry gaze with a passive one.

"It's been a little over two months," Kaiba replied.

"Exactly. We used to have to let him out to hunt Mortals every two weeks otherwise he'd slaughter anyone who disturbed him in the slightest," Yami said, being uncharacteristically agitated. He usually never lost his calm in front of anybody. Even around Kaiba, his own cousin, did he rarely let his guard down.

"Are you telling me that he hasn't felt the need for massive blood-letting in over two months?" Kaiba asked.

"That's exactly what I'm saying. He's not as feral or brutal as he used to be. He used to go mad if he didn't get out of the castle once a day and he would go absolutely ballistic if he didn't spill a score's worth of blood at _least_ every two weeks!" Yami snarled.

"You know what this means, don't you? We're losing our most valuable weapon," Kaiba responded seriously.

"I know! Bakura's insane bloodlust was our best chance to conquer the Angels! We have to bring him back to his animalistic nature," Yami cried urgently. Kaiba leaned back in his seat and pondered silently for a few minutes.

"Your Majesty, I have some information that might be of use to us," Kaiba whispered, pushing forward his various notes. Yami's red eyes skimmed over the papers quickly.

"The Bringer…my heir's the Bringer. That explains so many disasters, his blackouts, his bloodlust," Yami muttered to himself, "Does he know? Does Bakura know what he is?"

"No, I don't believe he does. He's the Bringer, therefore a worthy weapon and ally unless he meets his counterpart. Compare him to a flaming arrow; one flaming arrow dispatched at an ideal location, such as a primitive village, with ideal conditions, like dry weather, could cause a raging fire that leaves everything in its path in ruins.

"Now, compare his counter part to moisture; if the primitive village was located near swamps and had a humid atmosphere, the arrow could still injure something or someone but most of it's potential is cancelled out by its surroundings," Kaiba explained condescendingly.

"I am not a child, Kaiba. Do not pretend to treat me as such," Yami snapped, not liking Kaiba's derogatory tone at all. Kaiba smirked.

"I would never do something like that to you, your Majesty," Kaiba replied smoothly.

Yami glared at his advisor deciding to let the matter drop and move on to more important things. Together, he and Kaiba were sure to bring their most powerful weapon back. One way or another.

TBC

* * *

Jaazi: Phew! Done, finally. Hooray! I put as much fluff as I could to make up for the long wait.

Damian: We would greatly appreciate any and all reviews.

DJ: You know what that means. Review or else!


	13. The Flaming Arrow

Jaazi: Hey, look! It's another chapter of A&D! Thanks to all my wonderful reviewers! **Lorna Shadows**, **Shadows Nightmare**, **HanChan**, **LunaBakura-chan**, **MewMew2**, **Psychotic-Tendencies**, **Dodo-chan**, **Yamiace1321**, **His.Infernal.Majesty**, **Moon Ninja**, **Aliccia**, **Sakura**, **Celestia**, **Galenchia**, **Kailmoto**, **One Winged Thief**, **Kikyo's Killer**, **Freddie**, **Chi-chan Lurks**, **Ryou's cat**, **Angel's Red Rose**, **Redconvoy**, **Led**, **Browneyedalbino**, **Servant Indo**, **Sirithiliel**, **Ch3rryphr34k**, **Vampirehelsing**, **Bakura'sLoyalServant**, **Hakudoshi-chan**, **Baada**, **Gnos fo Ytinrete**, **Chaotic Ones**, **KitsunesEmber**, **Edo phinix**, **Javanese Kitten**, **NiokiNikki**, **Marik-Pretty**, **Kyo-Lover**, **Scorpia250**.

* * *

Disclaimer: If I owned Yugioh, Bakura wouldn't have ever lost any duels to that glory-hog of a Pharaoh, now would he? 

_Previously_

_Together, he and Kaiba were sure to bring their most powerful weapon back. One way or another._

_**Warnings: **_Blood and gore, so if you're squeamish…don't read? I don't think it's too graphic but some people are sensitive about this stuff.

* * *

**Chapter Thirteen: The Flaming Arrow**

As it turned out the promise of a midnight flight had to be put off. Bakura had very reluctantly told him that he couldn't go through with it as soon as he'd said and Ryou would have to wait until some other time for it. The way things were going, Ryou doubted his flight would be accomplished any time soon.

Bakura had been increasingly more busy than before, Ryou noticed. The King and the Advisor kept having meetings with him and Lord Marik. The meetings were confidential though, which meant he, Malik and Joey were not allowed to follow their masters.

Joey was not too bothered by it as it was his opinion that the less time spent with his master, the better. Although he did admit that the way they were being so secretive about these meetings irked him and left him uneasy. On the contrary, Malik and Ryou were feeling a bit neglected.

One thing that they all agreed on was the effect these long and frequent meetings had on their masters. All four high-ranked Demons would go into the meeting room tense and leave very aggravated. Bakura especially was fiercer and more prone to losing his temper than before. Even Ryou's presence didn't ease him, which hurt Ryou a lot more than he'd care to admit.

As if things weren't bad enough, the nightmare he had in the library turned out to be only the first of many, often worse, nightmares. The screams quickly silenced by death, the metallic scent of blood mingling with the choking smell of smoke became very familiar to him. It made him sick.

He didn't understand these dreams at first. Then he remembered the legend that Miss Mai had told him. That was why he was now spending his library time feverishly looking through any mythology and history books. Any clue at all would help him organize his dreams and memories. The thought scared him. He was the one who killed so many innocent people; he was the one who wrought needless destruction; he was the one who was too weak to stop the darkness that had overcome him.

Miss Mai had told him he was the pure part of the Bringer's soul which meant Master Bakura was the dark part of the soul. He sincerely hoped that this time around, he was strong enough to save his master from the darkness that shrouded him.

* * *

Seto's patience was getting tested. He knew it; why else would the king, lord, and heir be so difficult? The end of the meeting hadn't come soon enough, that was for sure. He and the others stepped out of the meeting room and gone straight to the library where their slaves were waiting. 

"Mutt," he said curtly. To his cynical glee, the Angel responded to the call. Apparently the Angel realized that he responded to 'mutt' because right after he turned to acknowledge Seto, his face turned an impressive shade of red. Seto smirked.

The lord was currently sulking behind his slave while the heir proceeded to drag his own slave out of the library. By the way the white-haired slave was wincing, Seto could safely assume that the angry heir's grip was tight enough to bruise. The king had gone to his chambers, having no slave of his own to pick up.

"Kaiba-bastard," Joey growled as he followed his master out of the library. Seto felt his eye twitch. He had put up with too much already during the meeting; he did not insolence from his slave too.

"Mutt, I assume Angels have some sort of fighting technique," Seto said bitingly.

"Yeah, what of it?" Joey said cautiously.

Seto smirked nastily, "I think it's time for me to see those techniques." Seto saw the familiar competitive spark spring up in the Angel's eyes.

"You and me--sparring," Joey stated with a confident grin, "Just remember when I beat you, that you asked for it."

"We'll see, Mutt," Seto said. Whether he admitted it to himself or not, Seto was beginning to look forward to the match.

* * *

Bakura snarled, banging the doors shut. Ryou flinched as Bakura all but flung him across the room when he released his hold on him. Ryou hated seeing his master this way and unfortunately, his temper was rearing its ugly head more and more often. 

"…Master?" Ryou called softly.

"What do you want now?" Bakura snapped, "Whine, whine, whine; don't you ever shut up?"

"S-sorry, Master, please forgive me. I just…is there anything I can help you with? You seem…frustrated," Ryou whimpered.

"Stupid Mortal," Bakura said angrily.

Ryou gulped, hesitantly stepping towards his master. His trembling hand reached out and tugged on Bakura's dark sleeve. With a loud and pained yelp, Ryou suddenly found himself slammed against the wall. Bakura was roughly pushed up against him, his face a mere inch away from Ryou's. A quiet whine sounded from Ryou's throat when he saw the crimson in Bakura's eyes begin to bleed into the white.

"Don't touch me," Bakura seethed, his hot breath coasting over Ryou's lips. His bloody red eyes trailed from the slave's frightened eyes, to parted lips and finally a pale, slender neck. The Demonic Heir's eyes narrowed, staring intently at Ryou's exposed neck.

Bakura's teeth sharpened and his mouth watered. The boy was warm and full of life and…purity. Red blood against white skin would look so beautiful…when was the last time he tasted blood? When was the last time he felt that euphoria from snuffing out a life?

A sudden sneer that twisted his lips. The whites of Bakura's eyes were quickly diminishing and his pupils were dilating into catlike slits. Swiftly, Bakura pulled Ryou's hair, eliciting a delicious whimper from the boy, in order to expose his neck even more.

Bakura's wet tongue trailed down the slender neck in a mockingly loving manner. Ryou made a sound that was somewhere between a gasp and a moan. Bakura's razor sharp teeth pierced through Ryou's skin the same scornfully tender manner as before, but only enough so that a few droplets of blood seeped out. The frightened shivers and unwillingly debauched moans that emanated from his victims were half the fun.

He didn't allow himself to taste the blood yet. Oh no, such pleasure was better when prolonged. He pulled back slightly, admiring the red speckled against Ryou's skin. His clawed hand let go of Ryou's hair and gripped the back of his neck harshly, ready to plunge his teeth into the bloodied skin. The moment his hand made contact with the boy's neck, he sprang back, eyes narrowed, hissing forcefully. Bakura's previously uninjured hand was held close to his chest.

Ryou, without Bakura holding him up any longer, slid down to the floor shaking violently. Crystalline tears were pouring down his face, a hand pressed against his sore neck. Ryou choked back his sobs.

"Pathetic Mortal," Bakura yelled furiously, his voice distorted. He stormed out of the room, leaving behind the petrified slave.

Ryou, when he was sure his master was out of earshot, sobbed loudly, curling into himself, pressed against the wall fearfully.

* * *

Joey panted heavily, blocking yet another one of Seto's attacks. Both he and Seto were sparring, using hand-to-hand combat only and feet firmly planted on the ground; neither had thought their spar would require the use of wings. Both were proved wrong. 

Joey kept blocking until for a split second, Seto left his side unguarded. For the Angelic Heir's bodyguard, a split second was all the time he needed to deliver a harsh blow. Seto let out an "oof." At that moment, Joey felt the binds constricting his wings loosen. With a whoop of glee, Joey's wings sprang forth. Joey leapt into the air.

Seto cursed and did the same. Joey smirked at the Demon, "Now the fun can really begin, eh, Demon?"

A flaming golden sword appeared in Joey's right hand. Seto's eyes widened a fraction before his own hand was filled by an inky-black, flame-like sword.

"You're a sorcerer," Seto stated rather than asked.

"I don't know about you Demons, but all Angels have magic whether they're trained and taught how to use it or not," Joey grunted, thrusting his sword. Seto quickly parried, his shadowy sword clashing against Joey's light sword.

"And you just happen to be one of the trained ones," Seto said, pushing his black sword against the other. Joey flinched, his arm trembling against the pressure. Curling his wings against his body, he spun as he dropped altitude and managed to escape the lock hold he had been trapped in. Seto was impressed, though nothing could ever make him admit it.

Joey shot up behind him, aiming for Seto's wing. Fortunately for the Demon his wings, unlike Angels' wings, had talons and could be used as weapons. His strong, dark wing slashed the unsuspecting Angel's abdomen, injuring his own wing slightly in the process.

Distracted by the sudden gash across his stomach, Joey didn't see Seto slashing his wing until it was too late. With a cry, Joey plummeted from the sky as flightless as a stone. The light sword disappeared as soon as he began to fall. Seto dissipated his sword in the blink of an eye and without giving it a second thought, entered a steep dive to catch the falling Angel.

Catching the Angel in his arms, he realized that it was too late to pull out of his dive and instead encased the Angel and himself in dark impenetrable wings. He crashed roughly against the sparring ground. Hazy, honey-brown eyes looked at him.

"S-Seto-bastard," Joey muttered before passing out, leaning heavily on Seto's chest. Seto jerked awkwardly, staring incredulously at the now unconscious Joey.

"You called me Seto…" the Advisor breathed, his face taking on a the palest of pinks. Upon observing this reaction later, he blamed it on the sparring he had participated in, not because of Joey's words or actions.

Wincing, Seto stood up, carrying the Angel in his arms to the infirmary. Only because he didn't want an injured and complaining slave, not because he felt a fluttering in his usually frozen heart at Joey's closeness and warmth and definitely not because he was worried about the Angel's health. Because Joey was a pathetic, enslaved Angel; nothing more, nothing less.

* * *

The king was having…difficulties, what with an enraged, less-than-sane Bakura destroying his room and all. Yami was actually quite pleased with this because it meant his weapon was returning to him. Seto had been right. Keeping Bakura trapped indoors, listening to battle tactics and other such kingly nuances during meetings that lasted hours on end always left Bakura irritable. 

Since something or someone had been suppressing Bakura's violent and malicious nature, his ire would quickly make him murderous again. Yami took pleasure at the sight of his heir. Bakura's wings were flared behind him as ominous and threatening as the original Bringer himself. His talons and claws were abnormally long and sharp, even for a Demon. The heir's teeth were sharpened to a point that would make even the most fierce of predators green with envy. And his _eyes_, Yami shivered with glee, were almost completely blood red. All that he needed now was some bloodshed so that he could lose his sense of self completely.

"Bakura. Would you like to go out?" Yami asked.

"_LET ME OUT OF THIS SATAN BLESSED CASTLE!_" Bakura roared.

Yami all too happily complied. Seto had said to not let Bakura out until they found out, with concrete proof, who his dampener was. They still hadn't enough evidence to pinpoint the dampener, but if Bakura was trapped any longer, he might decide to destroy the castle and any unfortunate servants or Demons that got in his way. Yami sighed. It was so troublesome having to look for new servants and Demon allies. For some reason, they were always so reluctant to accept those positions once they heard their predecessors were brutally murdered by his furious heir.

Besides, it was dark out and he needed a quick way of diminishing the Mortal population that had been growing out of line as of late. Before long, Yami had released his magical hold on his heir. Bakura felt Yami's grip on his magic disappear and let out a howl of triumph before melting into one of the many shadows of the king's room. Yami smirked. Hopefully, Bakura's killing skills hadn't become too rusty.

* * *

Bakura reappeared in the more impoverished side of what the Mortals call a town. This place seemed familiar somehow. Bakura grinned, exposing his sharpened fangs. "Look at all the little Mortals," he purred in an eerily seductive manner. 

His mind was screaming at him, yelling so loudly that it made his ears ring. He hated it; it made him want to clutch his head and scream at the top of his lungs but he knew that it wouldn't help. Besides, he must always keep his composure on the outside…at least until the first drop of blood was built. He cackled wildly and destroyed the nearest poor excuse for a house with a sharp jolt of magic.

Then the Mortals started scurrying about like frightened mice, screaming and squeaking in that annoying way that made the noise in his head worse. His hand shot out and grabbed a random Mortal. It sobbed and it wept and it begged to be spared. Bakura managed to piece together one last coherent sentence.

"Red is such a pretty color."

Sharp teeth tore out the Mortal's throat as a thirsty tongue eagerly lapped up the blood that spurted from it. Over and over again, one Mortal, two Mortal, three Mortal, four. He painted the streets with their still pulsing hearts, choked them in their one blood, screaming joyously at every life he ended. The voices in his head were still screaming though. There wasn't enough blood, not enough destruction and violence. A new voice, one he hadn't heard a million times over before, began to scream a different sort of scream.

_Stop it. You don't want this!_

_Yes you do, yes you do._

_No, this is wrong! Stop, stop ,stop!_

_But it feels so good, all sticky and warm and red._

_They don't deserve this. They haven't wronged you in any way._

_They exist so that you can kill them. They're mere existence is a crime._

_That's not true! They're innocent, they don't deserve this._

_Who gives a blessing for these weak fools?_

_…Ryou wouldn't like it._

Bakura had just caught a young Mortal girl by her long, light brown hair. His hand twitched and the murmur of Ryou's name. That name was familiar too. Had he murdered someone by that name? Had he tasted their blood? The name made his stomach lurch unpleasantly. Angry at the strange sensation, he decided to smother it the way he smothered everything else. Drowning himself in blood never failed him before. The small girl trembled and whimpered.

"Master!" a normally soft voice cried out. Bakura's feral eyes widened. That aura…he knew what kind of aura that was. Mortals' auras were a muddy brown while Demons' aura were an inky black. Bakura's mouth watered. But an Angel's aura was a pure snowy white such as the one he sensed right now.

"Angel," Bakura said throatily as the voices in his head screamed even louder. His clawed hand released the girl as his bloody red eyes raised to meet the speaker.

"Master, what have you done?" the boy he saw whimpered. What a beautiful boy, he thought. He was on a high from all the blood he consumed; he was unsteady but his gaze never wavered from the Angel boy. The voice from before, the one that tried to stop him, sounded a lot like this boy's voice.

The girl, who had been frozen with fear beside the Demon, suddenly sprang forth and sped towards the boy.

"Ryou!" she sobbed, cowering behind the Angel boy. Bakura froze.

_…Ryou wouldn't like it. Little Angel-boy Ryou…_

Trembling, the Angel named Ryou walked towards him. Bakura shied away, growling defensively, when Ryou's arms tried to wrap around him. Ryou held him close, ignoring the growls.

"I'm sorry, so sorry…Bakura, forgive me please," Ryou-Angel murmured. Bakura growled softly, prepared to tear away the throat of the Angel but his lips met the droplets of blood that still lay on the pale neck. The exact moment he heard his name was the same moment he tasted the sweet, sweet blood of the Angel. The combined ecstasy made him gasp.

_Bakura, he called me Bakura. My name._ The red slowly receded, surrounding the dark pupils which were slowly rounding from their previous cat-like form. The crazed, hungry glint faded from his eyes leaving him hazy and disoriented. Clouded eyes took in the boy's form.

"R-Ryou--you're bleeding," he said. Indeed Ryou's clothes were drenched in blood but it was not his own. Reality crashed around Bakura when he finally saw looked down at himself and his surroundings.

Throwing himself away from Ryou, he turned around and threw up.

TBC

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Jaazi: Uh. Don't have much to say for this chapter except that the Bringer needs a healthier hobby. I worked on this till two in the morning so sorry if it's a little less than perfect. 

DJ: _(dreamily)_ Look at all the gore and blood.

Damian: Hn. So uncivilized.

KK: REVIEW PLEASE!


	14. The Dampener

Jaazi: Yet another chapter with everyone's favorite Demon and Angel.

KK: Jaazi's very grateful for all the reviews you readers leave.

* * *

Disclaimer: I own it not.

_Previously_

_Reality crashed around Bakura when he finally saw looked down at himself and his surroundings._

_Throwing himself away from Ryou, he turned around and threw up.

* * *

_

**Chapter Fourteen: The Dampener**

Mai had heard Bakura's howl when he regained control over his magic. It was an eerily familiar howl. She sped off to find Ryou. He was the only one who had any chance of sparking some lucidity in Bakura.

Ryou was recovering from the scare his master had given him when Miss Mai had barged into the room. Giving him a quick, incoherent explanation, Ryou found himself being transported to town, the same part of town that Malik and Master Bakura had found him except it didn't look like the town he remembered. Everything was drenched in blood; there were screams and destroyed homes everywhere he looked. In the center of it all was Bakura, looking more like a monster with his pale hair stained red and trails of blood dribbling from his lips. His eyes were glowing pure crimson.

Ryou froze. His master, his beloved master who always treated him well…Ryou choked back a sob. He failed his master again. Ryou knew that deep down, his master didn't want this. He couldn't have wanted this. Ryou inhaled sharply, his body shaking. His eyes widened when Bakura caught a small girl. Serenity.

"Master!" Ryou cried out desperately. Bakura stilled. His eyes quickly found Ryou.

"Angel," Bakura purred. Ryou let out a sigh of relief when Bakura released Serenity.

"Master, what've you done?" Ryou whimpered. Bakura, his dear master Bakura, looked at him with such intensity, such bloodlust. Bakura looked at him but didn't appear to _see_ him. It was like he didn't recognize him at all.

"Ryou!" Serenity sobbed, dashing away from Bakura and hiding behind Ryou. Ryou patted Serenity reassuringly before sending her off to get Miss Mai for help. Once she left Ryou took a tremulous step forward. Bakura's glowing eyes never left him. He bared his teeth and growled defensively, louder with each step Ryou took. He even tried to get away, but Ryou caught him before he could. Ryou clutched him close.

"I'm sorry, so sorry…Bakura, forgive me, please," Ryou begged softly, tears cascading from his green eyes. Ryou felt Bakura gasp suddenly, every muscle in his body tensing. Ryou loosened his grip on Bakura.

"R-Ryou--you're bleeding," Ryou heard him say before Bakura scrambled away vomiting violently. Ryou slumped onto the bloodied stone street, all of his remaining strength escaping him. He watched silently as Bakura retched. Once he was sure Bakura was done, he crawled forward and laid Bakura's head on his lap, gently brushing away crimson-stained strands of hair from his face. Bakura was burning up, while most of his sanity returned to his eyes, the fever still mad him hazy and very disoriented. Bakura murmured incoherently.

"Shh," Ryou whispered gently. "Bakura, rest."

Bakura grasped Ryou's hand, although his grip wasn't as strong as it normally was. Ryou hummed soothingly, stroking Bakura's hair tenderly. Bakura shivered, curling his body around Ryou as much as possible and burying his face into Ryou's stomach. He continued to mumble gibberish. Ryou was sure he caught his name among the jumble of nonsense.

"Ryou," Bakura rasped.

"Yes, master?" Ryou replied tremulously.

"Don't leave," Bakura murmured fuzzily. Ryou smiled sadly.

"I won't."

Before too long, Bakura's breathing deepened and evened out. He fell into a listless sleep. Even with dried blood crusting around his lips and hair, even with his pitch black wings torn and sprawled awkwardly behind him, even with the stench of blood and vomit surrounding him, Bakura was still beautiful. Ryou's eyes widened. Did he really think that? Yes, Ryou realized, he did. His master was beautiful.

Ryou leant down. He cared for his master. He cared for him so much. It hurt him to see his master. It hurt him even more when he couldn't help his master; he didn't want him to be in pain. Ryou leant in even closer, just looking at his master. Bakura had dark shadows around his eyelids. He looked so gaunt and exhausted. Ryou's fingers roamed delicately over Bakura's face, marveling at how soft his skin was compared to his brusque nature. Ryou felt Bakura's breath, moist against his skin. They were so close, what would it be like to get just a little closer? No, he couldn't! A Mortal _slave_ kissing the _Prince_ of Demons; it was unthinkable.

Ryou bit his lower lip. It was his only chance. No one would have to know. Even Bakura wouldn't know. It would be his own little secret. He was close enough already, it wouldn't take that much more to close the gap.

So he did.

Bakura's lips were dry and chapped. They felt so coarse against Ryou's own lips. There was a sour taste from Bakura's earlier retching mixed with the coppery taste of blood. It was perfect. It was Bakura. A kiss shared with Bakura could never be anything less than perfect. He'd wanted this for so long. He'd wanted it enough to confess it to King Yugi.

King Yugi…

Ryou gasped and jerked away from Bakura. He clutched his head. His head hurt. All these images…memories…magic. Ryou whimpered as he was bombarded with everything that the spell King Yugi cast had been holding back. Ryou's eyes were closed tightly, brow furrowed.

_"Ryou! Let's go!" Joey laughed, tugging his arm, taking him outside to play._

_"I'll look after you until you're old enough to care for yourself," Isis said warmly, cradling his small body in her welcoming arms._

_"You have such potential," Sugoroku murmured proudly as he watched Ryou master yet another healing technique._

_"I've decided to make you my heir," King Yugi beamed._

_"Greatest healer around. The king made a good choice when he made you heir," Rebecca, his self-appointed "eternal rival" muttered grudgingly._

_"You're staring at that creepy castle again aren't you?" Joey asked, worry marring his normally joyful features._

_"You should let that infatuation go, Ryou. I do not wish to see you hurt," Isis advised yet again, tucking the pale strands of hair that obscured his vision behind his ear._

_"If you love him this much, I could let you see him…but there's a price," the king said hesitantly._

Ryou's eyes snapped open, horrified. Shimmering, white wings unfurled behind him, curling around him, and Bakura, in a defensive manner. Ryou felt as if he was about to break down. A Mortal and Demon together would be bad but an Angel and a Demon together would be beyond sacrilegious. It was traitorous. It was _wrong_. Ryou's throat tightened. But he loved Bakura. How could that be wrong? He loved him more than anything else in this or any other realm.

That isn't the way an heir should think, Ryou thought to himself. An heir's first priority is his kingdom and its people. An heir must give up anything and everything in order to keep his kingdom safe. Ryou placed another kiss against Bakura's lips, another and another one after that. His wings quivered with desperation. He quickly tucked them away. He didn't want his wings to be seen.

Ryou remained still until he finally regained his wits. He shouldn't have lost control like that. Ryou took a deep breath and shakily let it out. Right now he had to get Bakura back to the castle and have someone tend to him. Ryou tucked himself underneath Bakura's arm and stood up. Bakura was a good two and a half inches taller than him and quite a bit heavier than him too, but he was also semi-conscious by the time Ryou got him into an upright position.

"We have to get back to the castle, master," Ryou murmured. Bakura leaned heavily against him, dark wings hanging limply and scraping against the ground as they walked. Bakura didn't respond but tried to hold himself better so that Ryou didn't have to carry all of his weight.

They had been walking for a short time when Serenity came running towards them. Someone was following her. She cried out in panic. Ryou's eyes widened.

"Ryou! Run away, he hurt Miss Mai!" Serenity screamed before she was shoved to the ground. Ryou took an unstable step back. Bakura's glazed eyes looked up slowly. He wasn't all there but he could tell something was wrong. His mind vaguely registered the Demon before him: Seto, the Demonic king's advisor.

"There you are, my prince. I've been looking for you," Seto said, placing a hand on Bakura's chest. The hand glowed a black-blue that was quickly absorbed into Bakura. Bakura's feverish state dissipated completely, clarity and strength returning full force. "I have interesting news for you, Prince Bakura.," Seto said, smirking eerily. "We've picked up an Angelic aura not too long ago."

"Seto, what's going on? Why am I outside of the castle?" Bakura snapped crankily. His head hurt and he was covered in crusty, dried blood and dirt; he was less than comfortable. His arm was still wrapped around Ryou, who looked absolutely terrified. Bakura's brow furrowed in confusion. "Ryou, what's wro--"

"You're on a first name basis with you slave, Bakura? I suppose this news will be all the more hurtful for you then," Seto said and then lunged forward, grabbing Ryou's shirt front. Ryou cried out, startled. Bakura snarled.

"Seto let go of him!" Bakura shouted without thinking. Somewhere in the back of his mind he wondered why he cared, but he ignored that in favor of the situation at hand. Ryou was talking frantically to Seto, who was completely ignoring him, instead focusing his Demonic magic against Ryou.

"Seto! What are you doing? Do you plan on killing my slave? You know Mortals have no defense against magic!" Bakura yelled angrily, reaching to grasp Seto's wrist. He stopped mid-movement, though, as Ryou began to glow.

"Please, don't! S-Stop, please, I don't want him to see!" Ryou moaned pleadingly, squirming in Seto's grip. But it was too late. Ryou's silvery white wings sprung loose and closed around him, repelling the Demon's hurtful magic and dislodging the Demon's hand from him. Ryou was sprawled on the dirty, bloody ground, wings getting sullied, feathers sticking out at odd angles because of the sudden fall. Bakura's red eyes were wide.

"Bakura…" Ryou whimpered. He wailed when Seto slammed his boot on Ryou's wing. A loud snap was heard. White feathers were soon stained with silver-streaked crimson. Ryou moaned, grabbing his broken wing and fruitlessly tried to tug it from underneath Seto's boot.

"Do not be so familiar to the prince, Angel," Seto spat. "Do you see, Bakura? Your favorite slave is an Angel. The Angelic heir, to be more precise. I've no doubt he was sent to gain your trust in order to get close enough to kill you."

"Master, it isn't true!" Ryou yelled. Bakura eyed him coldly, his dark wings flared behind him. He struck him.

"Shut up," Bakura snarled, watching as Ryou's face reddened where he was hit. Distantly, he heard the Mortal girl sob the Angel's name. Ryou's green eyes were wide and filled with hurt but Bakura had the nagging sensation that Ryou was more hurt by his actions than by the broken wing.

"Mai, apparently, knew. She's a traitor. I've thrown her into the dungeons. The Angel will be joining her soon. As you might have guessed, the king is less than pleased. He wants you to decide the proper punishment for the traitor and Angel." Seto said. "It's time to prove yourself worthy of carrying the title of heir, my prince." Bakura's eyes flashed angrily at Seto's jeer. He turned his back on him and continued on his way to the castle.

"The same punishment that goes to all Angels caught in this realm. A public beheading, two days from now, at noon. Make sure all the Demons and Mortals see that I'm not one to be trifled with," Bakura said icily. He disappeared into the shadows.

"Bakura," Ryou whispered. Seto dug his heel into the Angel's wing more firmly. Ryou yelped.

"The end of your kind is near, Angel. Bakura is the harbinger of total Demonic domination." Seto sneered.

Ryou's eyes were downcast. He knew that and yet…

He still loved Bakura more than life itself. Ryou let himself be dragged to the castle where he was then thrown roughly into a dungeon cell. His broken wing hung uselessly behind him while his other wing and hands were bound with shadow magic. Miss Mai, who was in the cell beside his, began to talk to him once the guards left, but Ryou heard nothing. He was reminiscing about his time as a Mortal slave. Never before had he wished to be anyone other than himself. However, his dearest wish at the moment was to be Mortal.

* * *

He was the Demonic heir. He was cold. He was heartless. He hated Angels. He would bring their destruction. Some part of him knew that. Those blackouts he suffered from…they were the key to Demonic domination. He was their weapon. It was another thing he knew without really knowing how he knew. The voices. The screaming voices. They always knew and they always told him.

_You are a monster._

_Their special little tool._

_To kill every Angel and Mortal that exists._

_That is what you are to do._

They told him something he didn't want to know.

_Little Angel-boy. Bad little slave-Angel._

_Fool._

_You trusted him._

_Idiot._

_Did you think you could care for anyone?_

_Or that anyone could care for you?_

_You trusted him._

_And he played you. Used you. Tricked you._

_Fool._

Bakura roared and tore at the silk sheets of his bed. That smell was everywhere. The scent of that blasted Angel. He tricked him. He pretended to care for him and treated him kindly with no fear. The little wretch.

"I hate you. I _hate_ you," Bakura raged, destroying and tearing at everything he could reach.

Bakura hated him. He couldn't remember hatred ever hurting so much before, though.

* * *

Jaazi: How was that? I'm not too satisfied with it…especially with the Ryou-torture. Writing that made me feel terrible.

KK: It made me cry.

Jaazi: I have to get some sleep now. I hope you sort of liked it even with the angst and stuff.

KK: REVIEW PLEASE!


	15. Red Zone

Jaazi: It's been awhile, I know. But that's only because I don't have anything to save my stories on. My other save device died and took all my oneshots/updates with it. I was less than happy.

KK: We still don't have a saving device, but we decided to try to redo this update anyway.

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the basic idea/plot thing. Characters are not mine, sadly.

_Previously_

_Bakura hated him. He couldn't remember hatred ever hurting so much before, though._

* * *

**Chapter Fifteen: ****Red Zone**

The situation was at its critical point. The worst that could've happened did indeed _happen_. His prince was captured. The Demonic Prince was all but going insane, not to mention bloodthirsty. The Demonic King had every excuse to formally declare war on the Angelic King.

And so, King Yugi was found pacing in his throne room, inspecting his dilemma from every angle possible in order to find a solution. The Angelic Realm was a sanctuary, the only one left, really. Mortals and Demons seeking refuge from tyranny were always allowed to enter. They even had their own communities within the Realm. They were as happy as they could be given the building tension of an inevitable war. King Yugi had tried to avoid it, war. He wanted to reason with the Demonic King using civilized discussions. King Yugi sighed, so much for that idea. The Demon King seems to like violence and domination, King Yugi thought. He gave himself a shake. No. He had to find a way to settle things as peacefully as possible. He could still salvage this, but he was going to need the help of some of his refugees. He waved over a nearby attendant.

"Your Majesty?" the attendant chirped, noting the king's glum behavior and trying to bring him some cheer. The king smiled.

"Mana, bring me Isis and Mokuba."

* * *

Joey awoke with a start. He immediately groaned as his head was impaled with a thousand white-hot therapeutic needles. Or it felt like that, at least. He closed his bleary eyes. The light made his pain worse. What happened, he wondered. He hadn't felt this much pain since his first training session when he was ten and scrawny, and could barely lift his sword. He shifted stiffly in what seemed to be a hospital bed. He prodded the sheets and bed dubiously. _Yeah, definitely a hospital bed_. Now, as to why he'd woken up in the first place, he hadn't figured that out yet. If the pain he felt was anything to go by, he should've been in a coma-like sleep for at least a day and his internal clock was telling him that he hadn't been out that long. He should probably lie back down and rest for a while more. 

_Oh, so that's why I woke up_ his numbed mind murmured as Joey was suddenly slammed down onto the bed. The air in his lungs left him, making him gasp and wheeze. He yelled out in protest of the harsh treatment his already battered body received.

"What's wrong? I would assume that any bodyguard assigned to the Prince Ryou would be able to tolerate such pains as these," a voice hissed icily. Joey's watery brown eyes locked onto a familiar figure.

"S-Seto!" he coughed as his attempts to regain his breath continued. The pressure applied to the Angel's chest increased. Joey bit down on his lip to stop himself from crying out. _A broken rib, that's going to take a while to __heal._

"You have no right to call me by that name," Seto growled. Joey glared, which the Demon completely ignored. Kaiba continued. "Let me inform you of the situation your people find themselves in. Their king's captain of the guard is bedridden and enslaved, leaving his kingdom's army completely unprepared for any attack. The heir has been, until now, left with no memories and inaccessible magic which in turn got him enslaved to _our_ heir. The Angelic Heir finally regained his memories and power, revealing himself in territory that is out of bounds for anyone with Angelic blood, so he is imprisoned and will most likely be tortured for all the information he holds before his public execution. Tell me, _mutt_, do you want your precious heir to be suffering through the last few hours of his life?"

Joey felt as if a large ice-crusted hand grabbed hold of his insides in an unforgiving grip. "What? You can't be serious." Joey lay on the bed, only vaguely aware of the uncomfortable weight on his middle. His dazed mind was attempting to get through the shock the Demon's words gave him. He had to think. It wasn't possible, how could this have happened? Something occurred to him.

"But you already knew my prince was here," Joey babbled. Why couldn't he think clearly? What he just said wasn't going to help improve matters at all. Kaiba smirked.

"It was merely a guess. I knew of your high caliber in the Angelic army. I knew of your promotions until you finally settled into your position as the Angelic heir's personal guard. I assumed your heir wouldn't be left unprotected so you could visit _forbidden grounds_. I had no solid evidence of the Angelic heir's presence. Whatever magic was performed on him hid him very well. His aura was only slightly abnormal, something that usually isn't worth mentioning to anyone, but he was getting so close to our own prince that I thought it would be better if I kept an eye on the little slave.

"Be a good mongrel and tell me what you know of your army." Joey looked up at Kaiba, glaring with all his ardent anger. Then again, Kaiba thought, Joey always did things in that manner. Full of passion and using every bit of intensity he could muster. Kaiba didn't know why he was even bothering with the filthy dog. Joey was stubborn to a fault, and Kaiba had no doubt that Joey would endure a painful death before the Angel gave any information to betray his people.

But Kaiba needed to be there, with the Angel. He needed to see the Angel in pain. The Angel had to suffer for what he had done, for bewitching one of the most powerful Demonic mages in the realm. The Angel had to pay for bewitching _him_. Kaiba increased the pressure on the Angel's torso and felt a conflicted sort of joy in the Angel's grunt of pain.

"Sir Kaiba! What are you doing to my patient?" a voice cried. Both Demon and Angel started. Kaiba's cold eyes narrowed at the dark-haired intruder. Joey's first thought of the intruder was that his eyes were the color of poison.

"Do not interrupt me, Otogi. I need information that this Angel holds," Kaiba snapped. Otogi's green eyes developed a steely glint.

"I've told you to call me Devlin. And I don't care what information you need. You will not harm my patients, whether they're Angels, Demons, or Mortals. Leave now," Devlin growled. The two Demons stared each other down for a few moments before Kaiba gracefully removed himself from the Angel and walked swiftly out of the room but not before throwing its occupants a venomous look. The Demon with poison-green eyes looked over at Joey. "Are you all right? Any trouble breathing or sharp pains in the chest area? You have a couple of cracked ribs that could've easily broken underneath that pressure."

"Oh, uh, I don't think so," Joey said nervously. Devlin grinned saucily, and ruffled Joey's hair.

"Relax blondie. Kaiba must've forgotten that medics have a strict rule about helping the injured and sick regardless of whom or what they are. And, since I'm the head medic here at the castle, I feel I should enforce this particular rule. Don't you agree?" Devlin said. Joey nodded as vigorously as he could. Devlin continued. "So, as long as you're in here, you're safe."

"Where am I?" Joey asked suddenly. Devlin gave him a look.

"The castle's hospital wing," Devlin said slowly. He was beginning to worry that the Angel was concussed worse than he'd originally thought. Joey ignored the odd looks the Demon kept giving him. Safe, he was safe. As long as Joey was safe, Ryou still had a chance of being rescued without help from the higher ups. If only the king knew that…

* * *

The Demonic King was not on his throne as he normally would have been. He was, instead, in his bedchamber. It was extravagant, to say the least, just as any king deserves. A bed larger than most peasant houses, the floor covered with the softest of rugs and pelts, walls decorated with ornate tapestries depicting him, the great conqueror; as extravagant as it was, King Yami noticed none of this. 

He paced his huge room, thinking or, more to the point, scheming. Putting Bakura in charge of penalizing the two new prisoners had not been a good idea, Yami thought. He moved too hastily. Earlier, there had been a release of Angelic magic large enough to challenge Bakura's own Demonic magic. He hadn't ever felt such a powerful Angelic presence. Kaiba, his advisor, burst through the doors to his throne room only moments later declaring that he had long suspected that Bakura's little pet was, in fact, a prince. There was only one other prince besides Bakura, Yami had realized excitedly.

Angels didn't want conflict, or their king didn't want conflict. Either way, they would want peace. They would want to negotiate. And he, Yami, had the leverage needed to make the Angels agree to whatever conditions he wanted. He'd had their _heir_. The very cute, very fragile and very much loved Angelic prince was in his domain. He slammed his fist into the bedpost. And, _blessit_ He had let his own bloodthirsty heir hand out the punishment. Bakura was such a _fool_! They could've had the Angelic king groveling at their feet but Bakura had to condemn the blessed prince to death by beheading.

Yami growled, low in his throat. Mai had been a spy. He knew that Mai hadn't been pleased with his plans of invading the Angelic Realm. How could he not when she all but pitched a fit in the council room about his "testosterone-pumped ego" and "male-driven need to possess everything in sight?" Even then, Yami had marked it off as one of those random and highly exaggerated fits females were prone to have. She was his highest ranking army official. She was in charge of all the warriors, for crying out loud. He had been sure she'd seen reason. Instead, she allied herself with the Angels.

Things were not going as planned. He didn't know how much information Mai had fed to the enemy yet. Thankfully, even she didn't know much about his and Kaiba's planning. After all, the military's job was to follow his orders without questioning. They needn't know the why's of any given situation. The only necessary information was the how's and when's, and they were always provided those useful tidbits.

Yami paused in his agitated pacing. He cold ruby eyes darted to his bed. Bakura was more powerful than he had anticipated, also, and, while potentially dangerous to him, it was the only good bit of news he had heard so far. Last night, after Bakura had sent the Angelic heir off to the dungeons, he had gone into a destructive frenzy. Bakura had proceeded to demolish everything in his room. He had lost all sense of reason, once again, in such a short amount of time. It took both Yami, Kaiba, and Kaiba's apprentice, Noa, to sedate the berserk Bakura. Yami grinned.

He remembered a massacre that happened a few decades ago. Kul Elna was a small village of impoverished Demons and Mortals. It had been on the outskirts of his kingdom, bordering Lord Marik's land. It hadn't bothered him too much when he heard that every living creature in the village had been brutally murdered. They were trash, useless filth unnecessary in a grand kingdom such as his. Even so, if it had been Lord Marik who had done this, it was reason enough to go forth and take his lands away from him. King Yami soon found himself flying with a small battalion of his best warriors, Mai among them, to the ruins of Kul Elna. What he saw was savagery beyond all that he had ever dreamed. The entire village was little less than a splotch of red from the sky. These people hadn't been murdered. They had been thoughtlessly ripped apart and torn to shreds. There was not a single in tact body in sight. Some of his warriors became sick and faint.

Mai was visibly shaken, though she still managed to keep her powerful stride as they searched the—could it even be called a village?—gravesite. What could've done this? Yami wondered in awe. To own such a weapon, he could conquer the Mortal Realm without a war. It was then he found that the cause of the destruction hadn't left. A small boy with bloodied pale hair and red, harried eyes was busy tearing a small Mortal child's long deceased carcass into strips. The boy was muttering to himself, as if in a trance. "Die, die, death. Disgusting Mortals. Sick and dirty. Impure Demons. Pathetic and weak. Death, die. The unworthy breathing my air. Unacceptable." What started as muddled whispers had escalated to mad shrieks. Small, gnarled hands worked furiously at the small body until it was nothing more than a pulp. His voice quieted, breathing hard and heavy. The boy swayed slightly, but other than that, his limbs were completely still.

One of the Demons Yami had brought along gagged, grabbing the boy's attention. The red in the boy's eyes receded, allowing the whites to show. He looked around slowly as tears began to fall, leaving trails in the wet blood that smudged his face. He looked at his hands that still had pieces of flesh. The boy sobbed. "I'm sorry—didn't mean to—they, I—screaming—wanted to stop but I." Mai had been the first to move. The boy's shoulders shook uncontrollably has Mai scooped him up, seeming to forget that only seconds ago the boy had been gleefully digging into a dead body for its bones. The boy had passed out shortly after.

Yami made him heir almost immediately and kept Bakura under his wing, away from Mai's motherly hands. He couldn't have her weakening him. And she hadn't, Yami thought. Bakura always passed out after a bloodthirsty trance such as the one he suffered during massacre of Kul Elna. He'd been out for a week and a half that time. He set the innocent looking boy onto the Mortal Realm where the boy then left its main, and most powerful, city unrecognizable, killing the Mortal leader and council in the process. Bakura had been out of commission for five days, leaving Yami to walk into the Mortal Realm and take charge swiftly.

Yami sent him out more and more as Bakura grew older and Bakura would fall into a comatose state for less and less time, until it reached it's peak yesterday where he hadn't even fainted before returning to his original state of mind only to go berserk hours later.

Through his musings of times past, Yami had an epiphany. As he had mentioned before, Angels were peaceful, willing to negotiate, but more importantly _they didn't know their prince was condemned to death._ They were to make the announcement publicly today, in order to have the beheading tomorrow. He summoned a servant to deliver the message to Kaiba. They would withhold the announcement until much later. He glanced over again at his bed where Bakura lay in a magically-induced unconsciousness. The Angelic king wouldn't risk leaving his prince in Yami's hands any longer than necessary. He'd travel into the Mortal Realm himself to oversee any negotiations necessary to have his prince returned. That was the one thing Yami and the Angelic king had in common, beside appearance. They both were actively involved in everything under their rule.

The Angelic King will leave the safety of his realm, taking his strongest Angels with him, and thus leaving the Angelic Realm open for attack. Yami's eyes gleamed. Perfect, absolutely perfect. He winced suddenly, hand reaching up to apply pressure to his temple. Sharp eyes flickered over to Bakura. Keeping the Demonic heir unconscious was tiring. The constant outpour of magic was going to leave him weak. Yami forced more magic onto his stirring heir, making the white-haired Demon still once again. It will be worth it, Yami told himself. Risks needed to be taken in order to achieve his goal. The moment Bakura wakes up, he'll start destroying anything in sight. Placed in the appropriate location, Bakura could very well single-handedly give Yami the Angelic Realm.

Sighing tiredly, Yami sat down on a plush chair. All he had to do was wait patiently for the opportune moment.

* * *

The guard trudged towards the cells, ignoring the Demon-traitor as she threw every insult she could think of at him. The guard turned his attention to the Angel with the oddly angled wing. He was unaware of the Angel's importance, and he didn't much care. It was only an Angel, after all was said and done. If the king didn't want his immediate death, well, that was the king's business. 

"Angel. Your beheading has been delayed." He walked away as suddenly as he arrived.

Mai tried to talk to the Angel again, but it was no use. Ryou wasn't responding to anything. His green eyes were completely vacant. It was almost as if he was asleep with his eyes wide open.

"Ryou! Ryou, honey, don't do this. We have to get you out of here. Snap out of it! Think of your future kingdom. Are you going to abandon it, just like that? When your kingdom most needs you?" Mai pleaded. Ryou didn't even turn to look at Mai. If only she could reach out and touch him!

Ryou sat on the dirty floor limply, head bowed, and wings sprawled awkwardly behind him. Pale hands lay on the floor motionlessly, legs bent and still. If it wasn't for his soft, barely-there breathing, Mai would've thought him dead. Mai scowled. The Ryou she knew wouldn't just give up like this. He had a fighting spirit, when he was pushed to the limit and had his loved ones threatened. Something was wrong. Ryou was better than this, there had to be something wrong, but what could she do?

_Help__less__Useless._

_Hopeless._

She felt like crying.

TBC

* * *

Jaazi: Look, it's an update! And I finished it _before_ the deadline Luna-Dearest set me. If you visit my profile, you'll see I left a link for my LiveJournal account. I'm going to try to use that to keep you all informed about my progress on the fics. So check it out. 

KK: You've reached the end of the chapter! You know what that means!

DJ: Yeah, review if you ever want another update ever again! Though, personally, the author does not deserve it because she sucks at updating anyway.

Jaazi: Again with the beautiful words of encouragement. _s__ulk)_


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